Since the addition of Netflix and other services to Xbox LIVE, many Xbox 360 owners have often asked "Why not Hulu too?" In fact, Hulu was rumored prior to E3 2009 and E3 2008 but never came. Will it be "third times the charm" or "three strikes and your out" for E3 2010?
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GearLive is the origination of the Hulu rumor this year and they claim to have a "very reliable source (who has never been wrong before )" that says that Microsoft will unveil the addition of Hulu to Xbox LIVE at their E3 press conference on June 14. The service would be integrated into the dashboard similar to how Netflix and Last.fm are currently integerated.
GearLive is also claiming that the service will require a fee on top of the Xbox Live Gold subscription. They don't know how much the fee would be or in what form but they are assuming that a charge would be included. It should be noted that Hulu's owners have long ago announced that they are looking to add fee models to the service that increases how far back you can get episodes to current shows and other premium features on top of the current ad-supported model. It is possible that GearLive is confusing an upcoming fee model for the entire service as exclusive to Xbox LIVE.
It should also be noted that Hulu's owners have previously stated that they want to keep Hulu off of televisions so that it won't cannibalize viewership for shows offered on TV networks such as ABC, NBC, or CBS. Of course, it is also possible that a deal with Microsoft for Xbox LIVE would not include shows currently on broadcast television.
We will keep an eye on any more solid information about Hulu and Xbox LIVE. Would Hulu integration on the Xbox 360 be something you'd be interested in? Let us know in the comments below.
Update: 1Up has an article today that mirrors our points above about the problems Hulu's owners has with streaming shows to TVs instead of letting viewers watch them as they normally would through broadcast or cable channels. Essentially, the technology to stream Hulu through Xbox 360 already exists but the actual content is tied up in a battle over rights to broadcast. The question now appears to be whether or not Microsoft, Hulu, and all the rights owners can get something hammered out in time for E3.
As we also mentioned above, the most likely scenario is that shows that are currently being broadcast on television will not be available to stream through the Xbox 360. At least not without an additional fee.
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