Behind the smiles, they’re looking for blood.
Seems like the Mouse House isn’t down with being a part of something like Hulu as much as making its very own service. With their catalog, it’s hard to blame them. From Variety:
Iger would not elaborate much more about the project other than to say that it would offer a “robust” experience for users. It’s believed to be conceived along the lines of a grown-up version of Disney’s successful kid social network/virtual world services Club Penguin and Pixie Hollow, which charge monthly subscription fees.
Club Penguin is already a huge positive impact on Disney’s Internet bottom line, and a service like this, if coupled with Pixar and Disney classics, could come into its own in a big way.
It may not even compete with Hulu as much as you may initially think. The subscription route is one Hulu has avoided, and if Disney focuses on its original IP but keeps its strategy open to platforms like Hulu, there could be room for another online video-on-demand player.
Still, if you’re a Hulu exec, you’re probably not sleeping too well tonight.
