Apple Considering a Bid For Hulu?

logoApple is considering a bid for Hulu, the online streaming service, according to a report from Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. is considering making a bid for the Hulu online video service, according to two people with knowledge of the auction.

Apple is in early talks that may lead to an acquisition offer for Los Angeles-based Hulu, said the people, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

There are several companies considering making offers for Hulu, with Yahoo reportedly making a bid of $2 billion but the company wanted a five-year exclusive on streaming content. Google, AT&T and a number of other companies are also in the mix, though Microsoft reportedly dropped out of the bidding earlier this week.

If sold, Hulu would retain its exclusive content licenses from current owners Disney (where Steve Jobs is a major shareholder and sits on the board) FOX/News Corp., and Comcast/NBC.

This week Apple reported that it had $76.2 billion in cash and marketable securities on hand. In October, Steve Jobs said of the cash pile, "we strongly believe that one or more very strategic opportunities may come along that we can take that we're in a unique position to take advantage of because of our strong cash position."

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

Top Rated Comments

Benjamins Avatar
170 months ago
Apple rarely buys well established known companies. They usually buy small companies and bring them in house.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
res1233 Avatar
170 months ago
I hope Apple can clean up Hulu's online interface... I was never a fan of it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
170 months ago
It would be supremely ironic if Apple ended up buying Hulu seeing that it was originally set up by Fox and NBC to compete against the iTunes store. NBC briefly left iTunes, but Fox did not. NBC eventually crawled back.

Wayback Time Machine:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2007/oct/29/hulustartsprivatebetawhile
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
glemley8 Avatar
170 months ago
When I first read this, it said, "Apple Considered a Bird Flu".
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasongarza Avatar
170 months ago
Hulu the next Lala?!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tilpots Avatar
170 months ago
Remind me, why did Apple buy Lala? Is it in your iTunes yet?
But they didn't buy Pandora, Spotify, GrooveShark or any other # of music subscription services. So, you're logic doesn't add up.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)