Hulu scores exclusive ‘Empire’ rights after finale; smart move?

Soon, there may be a war between streaming providers that would almost come close to something you would see in “Empire.” After all, this was a show that probably drew bids from multiple contenders; the ratings are huge, and with there only being 12 episodes, it seems perfect for binge-watching leading up to the launch of season 2.

At the end of the day, though, there can only be one winner … and it’s Hulu. All episodes of the first season are already available to Hulu Plus subscribers, while season 2 episodes are available the next day. The benefit of subscribing to Hulu is that you get episodes without hardly any waiting, but the downside of that is that unlike Netflix or Amazon Prime, you do still have to watch advertisements despite paying close to $8 a month.

In a statement, Hulu’s senior vice president and head of content Craig Erwich had the following to say:

“Empire‘s story lines and music continue to dominate the popular culture conversation each week … Since its premiere, the series has remained one of the top shows on Hulu and we are ecstatic to be the exclusive streaming home to the biggest show of the year.”

If we are being completely honest, we hate the exclusivity deals that are happening with streaming providers. We’re sure that networks and studios collect a large fee in return for it, but it does put consumers in a pickle where they have to potentially choose which service to subscribe to. Otherwise, they could be paying close to $30 to watch everything on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu to go along with a cable package. It could be even more if they sign up for CBS All Access or the upcoming HBO NOW service.

“Empire” set ratings records last night, and to read more about that, head over here! Also, you can sign up now if you want to acquire some other scoop on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)