Apple TV Releases Software Update: Finally Includes App for Hulu Plus

By Karla Robinson
August 1, 2012

With a software update for the Apple TV set-top box released this week comes a new app for Hulu.
“Apple TV owners have been waiting forever for Hulu service to land on the device,” notes VentureBeat. “Previously, rumors indicated that a Hulu Plus app existed but hadn’t been approved by Apple. Some speculated that this was because a Hulu service would threaten Apple’s TV show sales via iTunes. And with OS X Mountain Lion’s new Mac Airplay feature, there’s really no reason not to put Hulu on the Apple TV.”
The new app will require users to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service ($7.99 monthly fee), which users can sign up for directly using the Apple TV.
“It’s likely that Apple takes a cut of every subscription that’s paid for through a person’s iTunes account, but we don’t know the exact percentage of that commission fee,” the post suggests. “This detail is probably why it took so long for Apple to bring Hulu Plus to the Apple TV.”
“If you take into account the possible loss from TV show purchases on iTunes as well as a dismal commission fee from bringing on new subscribers, it makes sense that Apple hesitated in bringing Hulu to its set-top box,” concludes the post. “If true, it could explain why Apple isn’t in any rush to bring additional streaming video services to the Apple TV.”

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