With all the talk of incredible Netflix subscriber numbers and the impending launches of Disney+ and whatever Apple has up its sleeve, it would appear that there’s not much room for growth for streaming services out there. If anything, common sense would dictate that with all the competition in the streaming sphere, paying customers would start to spend their money more conservatively and not just subscribe to every and all service. But that wouldn’t explain why Hulu saw massive subscriber growth in 2018.
According to a new report, Hulu saw its paying subscriber base jump 48% in 2018 to a record number of customers, 25 million. As mentioned, compared to Netflix, this is little more than chump change, but for Hulu, this shows that the streaming service is not only still growing but doing so at an astronomical rate, thanks to a variety of reasons.
“Consumers have spoken loudly about their desire for more choice and control in their TV experience,” Hulu CEO Randy Freer said (via Deadline). “They are seeing the enormous benefits of streaming, they’re deciding which content and brands are most important to them, and they’re choosing Hulu.”
There are primarily two major facts that we can ascertain that would lead to this sort of growth. Perhaps first, and foremost, is the way people consume media. More and more, people are cutting traditional cable services in favor of streaming options like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, etc. In fact, Hulu also saw the launch of its own Live TV streaming service, which allows customers to pay for live TV channels that they would normally get as part of their cable bundle, but at a greatly reduced price.
The second major reason seems to be the growing selection of must-see Hulu original programming. In recent years, the streaming service has seen interest in its product grow exponentially thanks to “The Handmaid’s Tale” continuing to be a hot-button topic for TV viewers, as well as the successful launches of series like “Castle Rock,” based on Stephen King properties. And not only that, in 2018, Hulu has become the go-to streaming service for fans of classic and current popular TV series such as “ER,” “Lost,” “King of the Hill,” “Family Guy,” and “Bob’s Burgers.”
Either way, it would appear that Hulu has found its niche and customers are responding. And that growth couldn’t come at a better time, as the aforementioned Apple and Disney, along with WarnerMedia and Comcast begin making plans for their own streaming offerings.
