Hulu today announced that it now has more than 28 million subscribers and that 26.8 million of those are paid subscriptions.
The new public subscriber figures for Hulu suggest that the service has grown significantly since the start of the year. In early April during an investor day for its upcoming streaming service, Disney said that Hulu was at 25 million subscribers (23 million of those paid).
“In today’s direct-to-consumer world, viewers are demanding better when it comes to TV -- from the user experience to their content choices to the advertising,” said Hulu CEO Randy Freer in a statement. “Hulu’s continued growth, as well as the shows and initiatives announced today, reflect our deep investment in product, programming, brand, customer experience and business strategy to ensure that with Hulu, consumers can connect with the stories they love, at the right time and price, on any device.”
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Hulu also used its upfront presentation today to announce a new ad format called binge advertising. The company said the new ads will target binge viewers with a creative that is situationally relevant to their viewing behavior.
“This is a monumental time for Hulu’s advertising business and for brands who are looking to reach the most valuable audience in television,” said Peter Naylor, senior vice president and head of advertising sales at Hulu, in a statement. “Because of our viewer-first advertising principles, we’re scaling rapidly. We’re offering advertisers the most sophisticated targeting, the largest addressable footprint in on-demand television, robust measurement solutions, and new ad models. Hulu is future-proofing TV advertising and transforming the way brands connect with consumers.”
Hulu also announced it will expand the availability of its pause ads, which it announced earlier this year, beginning in August.
In addition to new subscriber totals and ad tech announcements, Hulu today also rolled out some programming news. The service said that it has expanded its deal with Disney’s Marvel to add two more live-action series based on Marvel’s Ghost Rider and Marvel’s Helstrom, both of which are slated to debut on Hulu in 2020. Hulu also announced partnerships with Vox Media Studios, Majordomo Media, and Suit & Thai Productions for food-related series; a new series starring Nicole Kidman; a new series starring Kate McKinnon; and renewals for “PEN15” and “Ramy.”