Hulu Launches Subscription Service

LOS ANGELES: Hulu has unveiled a new subscription service, Hulu Plus, which will offer full seasons of current TV shows and library programming for $9.99 per month.

The pay service is not replacing Hulu.com, but will be complementary to the existing ad-supported site. Hulu Plus will offer the full season for most of the current broadcast shows available on Hulu, with all episodes available rather than just a handful of episodes. Hulu Plus is initially only available to invited subscribers, who will have access to all episodes of shows such as Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy and 30 Rock. There’s also older shows like Arrested Development and Ally McBeal. A date for the full public release has not yet been announced.

The new service will also make Hulu available on portable devices and home-entertainment screens through Blu-ray players, Internet-connected TVs and videogame consoles. Currently, those devices include the Apple iPad and newer iPhone and iPod touch devices, as well as some TVs and players from Samsung. In the coming months, the service will also be available on Sony’s PS3 game system, along with some Sony Blu-ray players and TVs. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 game console will start carrying it in early 2011.