Hulu jokes that its TV service is an evil plot to destroy the world, but it could end up being an evil plot to destroy your wallet.
At this point it's just speculation, but the free online video service may be looking to charge subscription fees in the near future, according to Jonathan Miller, CEO of Digital Media at News Corp., which owns Hulu. Other partners include NBC Universal, Providence Equity Partners and, most recently, Disney, parent company of ABC.
Miller's comments were reported on the Web site Daily Finance, which covered an Internet Week event sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter.
When Miller was asked about a paid subscription scenario vs. its current embedded ad-supported model, he responded, "In my opinion, the answer could be yes. I don't see why over time that shouldn't happen. It seems to me that over time that could be a logical thing."
Since its release last fall, Hulu has been seen as a direct challenger to Google-owned YouTube, which also streams video content. According to reports, YouTube is still in the lead, but some analysts are predicting that Hulu could catch up to its rival's revenue by the end of 2010.
Not surprisingly, Hulu fans are not at all happy about a subscription model.
As one Daily Finance commentator wrote: "Another good site that will slowly die due to people not wanting to pay for a subscription."
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