Landmark content and marketing deal with Fox shows Disney’s faith in Hulu

Fox Entertainment and Hulu have entered a multi-year partnership, encompassing in-season streaming rights for Fox’s slate and a multi-platform marketing alliance.

Under the terms of the agreement, all Fox primetime entertainment programming – ranging from Family Guy and The Cleaning Lady to The Masked Singer and Next Level Chef will continue to stream on Hulu the next day following its linear telecast.

Rob Wade

Additionally, the deal includes a major alliance, whereby Fox and Hulu branding will jointly share presence across all Fox owned and external marketing touchpoints. “Our long-standing partnership with Hulu consistently generates impressive results and creates an important pathway for our series to maximise viewer reach,” said Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment. “Under this new deal, Fox solidifies its longer-term streaming strategy, while harnessing the strength of both Hulu and Fox to better serve our audiences and bring visibility to premium content across our platforms.”

“Continuing to be the next-day streaming home for current Fox hits, along with out-of-season episodes of Fox titles, reinforces Hulu’s unique position in the streaming space – as the only SVOD service to carry next-day series from multiple broadcast networks,” said Joe Earley, president of Hulu. “Fox has always been a great partner, but now Rob and his teams are levelling-up our relationship with their marketing commitments, helping viewers understand where they can watch all of these shows.”

At a strategic level, the deal is significant for two reasons. Firstly, because it suggests that Hulu-owner Disney sees a long-term future for the platform alongside its flagship streaming service Disney+. Secondly, it gives an insight into Fox’s streaming strategy. Currently, the company seems happy to license its IP to third party SVODs, staying clear of that highly-competitive arena, while building its own AVOD platform Tubi.