Hulu's ad-free app might finally be coming, for a higher price

Hulu Plus wasn't what a lot of users expected: they thought they'd be able pay to watch ad-free TV shows and movies, but ended up being offered a bigger selection and more platforms for a fee, instead. Well, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar says that ad-free Hulu is still a possibility, at a higher price. In response to criticism of the subscription-plus-ads model, where users essentially pay twice, he told NewTeeVee that he didn't see a problem, because there are cable networks that show ads.

User expectations have been set differently with online video than with TV, though, and Hulu probably can't change those expectations on its own. After all, downloading TV shows from BitTorrent or watching free videos on YouTube is a lot easier than stealing cable. If the monthly cost isn't too much higher, I imagine most Hulu users would switch to a more expensive, ad-free version ... but Hulu probably should have started with that option, instead of raising the price now.

Tags: ad-free, hulu, hulu plus, HuluPlus, movies, streaming, subscription, tv, video