Hulu today introduced its Hulu Plus premium subscription plan for television content, set to offer customers willing to pay $9.99 per month the ability to access an extensive array of both current television shows and older library content. Hulu Plus, offering content in 720p HD, is also set to move beyond the company's existing computer-centric platform to include Apple's full line of iOS devices, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, with streaming available over Wi-Fi and 3G. Samsung Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players will also be supported at launch, with additional support for Vizio and Sony devices, as well as the PS3 and Xbox 360 gaming platforms, rolling out in the future.
Hulu Plus is not a replacement for Hulu.com. Hulu Plus is a new, revolutionary ad-supported subscription product that is incremental and complementary to the existing Hulu service. For almost all of the current broadcast shows on our service, Hulu Plus offers the full season. Every single episode of the current season will be available, not just a handful of trailing episodes. Now there's never a bad time to jump in on a hot new show like Modern Family (which I recommend highly). From Family Guy to Glee, from The Office to 30 Rock, from Grey's Anatomy to Desperate Housewives, from Parks & Recreation to Parenthood, from House to Saturday Night Live, and dozens of other hits, the best time to jump in on any series is any time, and with any episode, that's right for you.
Hulu is currently accepting requests for preview invitations to Hulu Plus. The program appears to be rolling out today, although the Hulu Plus application does not yet appear to have been posted to the App Store and it is unclear exactly when preview invitations will begin being distributed. A full, public release date for Hulu Plus is also not yet known.
Update: The free universal Hulu Plus application [App Store] is now available in the App Store. It can be used to request an invite to the preview, and access content once an invitation has been received.
