Posts by Bobby Tulsiani from July 22, 2008

Bobby Tulsiani | July 22, 2008, 08:10 PM
Competing with Hulu?

We recently published our report “Competing with YouTube”, where we explored strategies to compete with the video giant. Hulu, who has carved out a niche strategy around full length TV shows and premium content, has been one of the early success stories of 2008 in the competitive video space.

Hulu’s early momentum may have inspired new competition. Today, the Wall Street Journal has a story about three major cable operators (time warner, cox, and cable vision) launching video portals (powered by The Platform). It is likely these web sites will focus on full length TV rather than short form UGC (YouTube’s sweet spot).

One important advantage the cable companies may have over Hulu will be access to full length cable shows (because of the carrier fees they pay). However, as we reported in the “Competing with YouTube” report, while content is key, user experience is king online. It remains to be seen if the cable companies can launch sites that match or exceed Hulu's focus on the end user experience. One thing for sure, the Platform and other video infrastructure providers look like quiet winners as more new video sites come online in 2008.