We are closing on a big 2012. On behalf of the Hulu team, I would like to share some of our results. We’re so thankful to our customers and for the trust they place in us each day, which is enabling us to deliver the below results.
Revenue. In 2012, we will close the year with approximately $695 million in revenue. Hulu’s revenues will have grown over 65%, which is an acceleration over 2011 growth levels. Revenues from our first 5 years:
Hulu Plus. We have more than 3 million paying Hulu Plus subscribers. The number of Hulu Plus subscribers has more than doubled over the past year. Our subscribers from the past two years (we exited private beta and officially launched in November 2010):
In 2012, Hulu Plus was released on Apple TV, Nintendo Wii and Wii U, Windows 8 tablets, and a slew of new Android tablets and phones. Hulu Plus can now be accessed from more than 320 million Internet connected devices in the U.S. (not including laptop and desktop computers). We released next generation user experiences—to great response—across the web, on gaming consoles, and on Android tablets and phones.
Content. Throughout 2012, we aggressively grew our Hulu and Hulu Plus title offerings by over 40%, making us an increasingly valuable partner for our three customers (viewers, advertisers and content partners). We now have more than 430 content partners, providing over 60,000 TV episodes, 2,300 TV series, and 50,000 hours of video on Hulu and Hulu Plus. In 2012, we invested more than $500 million in content. Since the launch of Hulu in October 2007, we have generated over $1 billion for our content partners.
One of the highlights from our 2012 content investment is the launch of Hulu Kids on Hulu Plus. With this launch—and our expanded content partnership with Viacom—Hulu Plus has become the only online video subscription service with current season content from Nickelodeon. Hulu Plus now offers current season episodes from more than 235 of the most popular television series on TV in the U.S., and over 40 series on TV from across the globe…something no other online video service offers. We launched more than 25 Hulu Exclusive and Original Series combined, and signed new agreements with the likes of CBS and WWE, just to name a few. We are extremely proud of the TV series we released in 2012, and are excited about the slate of original series and exclusive series coming to Hulu in 2013.
Advertising. Our advertising mission is to be the world’s most effective video advertising service, and we are well on our way. We continue to expand the number of advertisers we serve. In 2012, we served more than 1,000 advertisers, 28% more than last year. Our advertising service consistently sets the standard in online video advertising, including our practice to only charge advertisers when their ad has been streamed through completion.
Hulu Japan. Our subscription service in Japan continues to ramp. Our content offering has quadrupled over the past 12 months. Hulu Japan is now accessible from more than 50 million Internet connected devices in Japan (not counting laptops or desktop computers), thanks to releases on Apple TV, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, and over 40 Android mobile phones and tablets in 2012. As a result of the above inputs, we are attracting paying subscribers to the Hulu service in Japan at a volume that is more than triple our December 2011 levels.
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When it comes to building things that matter, most entrepreneurs hope to have the good timing and the good fortune to find and ride (and ideally shape) one massive wave. At Hulu, we are doubly fortunate in that we are at the crest of two massive waves that we believe will persist for the long term: the rise of online video advertising and the rise of online video subscription services.
As we’ve built and grown Hulu since the summer of 2007, so much has changed along the way from building our first website to now generating almost $700 million in revenue this year. There has been one constant, however, which is the Hulu culture; it is what defines us. Ours is a culture of obsessing over our customers, insisting on atypically high quality (to the point that most reasonable people will think that our standards are too high), and relentlessly pursuing better ways in all that we do. For Hulu, culture is the input that matters most.
On behalf of the team, please know how grateful we are to you, our customers, for your belief in us and for the privilege to innovate each day.
Jason Kilar
CEO, Hulu
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what needs to happen in 2013 less trash talk make more deals and get more content and put all content from web only to huluplus paid and upgrade interface for huluplus. i keep on paying for your crappy service because i beleave that this service can get better if you had a new ceo but goodluck in 2013!!
I am American and I leave in Serbia. My only complain is that I can’t use Hulu in this country. I hope that with the growth of Hulu you’ll make it possible for us abroad to use your service. Wish you all the best and wish you Marry Christmas
Remarkably good performance given the website trouble you had. Any word on fixing the massive hack that hit you a few months ago? You can’t possibly have made the website so awful intentionally.
Hulu has so much to offer, but does some dumb things that make me use it much less and less willingly than I used to.
Are you aware that HULU is Practicing Censorship? As a Hulu Prime subscriber, I am finding many of the TV shows I watch are missing scenes and content completely dropped. I can deal with a pay service that still shows commercials, but I really would like the whole product that I’ve paid for. You are a pizza delivery with pieces missing. Go on Hulu comments and you’ll find that I’m not the only one with this issue. So…..what gives???
atypically high quality == 720p; Jokes aside I would get Hulu Plus if there was 1080p content, and I love the free content.