Hulu Japan boosts content with A+E deal


Details

Rebecca Hawkes

| 17 December 2015




Nippon TV is bringing a raft of A+E Networks’ programming to its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service Hulu Japan (HJ).



Initially, shows from The History Channel such as Pawn Stars and Counting Cars will be made available in Japanese to subscribers in an exclusive section of Hulu in Japan.

A+E brands Lifetime, Crime and Investigation and FYI will then be added to the online video service.

“We are thrilled to bring our rich programming library to Hulu subscribers in Japan,” said Alan Hodges, MD Asia Pacific, A+E Networks. “Hulu is one of the pioneer OTT organisations in Japan and is the perfect platform for introducing A+E’s rich catalogue to a Japanese audience that is hungry for high-end video-on-demand content.”

Kazufumi Nagasawa, chief content officer, HJ Holdings, added: “We are excited to be a home for A+E’s great content line-up in Japan as we believe this deal is fruitful for both A+E and Hulu in Japan. We will be able to help A+E to further establish and promote their brand though our distinctive promotional activities both on and off Hulu, while we can add great diversity to our content line-up.”

US-based Hulu launched its premium over-the-top (OTT) service in Japan in September 2011. The Japanese business was fully acquired by Nippon TV in April 2014.

Hulu competes in Japan with new video-on-demand (VOD) entrants TVer, Bonobo and Netflix, plus Gyao, Unext, and online video services from mobile operators SoftBank, NTT Docomo and KDDI.