CBS Signs Library Deal With Hulu

CBS has signed a deal with Hulu to bring a number of its catalog titles to the popular streaming service, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The television shows that will be made available to the company will only be accessible to those who subscribe to Hulu Plus. The new content will begin appearing on the service this January.

Shows that will be available to subscribers include Star Trek, I Love Lucy, and The Twilight Zone. While some newer shows will be included in the Hulu Plus deal, none of the programs that are currently airing on the network will be offered.

“This marks another agreement that meets the growing demand for our content on new platforms while establishing other incremental ways to get paid for our library,” explained Scott Koondel, CBS’ Senior Vice President of Corporate Licensing.

According to Deadline, the recent deal between CBS and Hulu isn’t new territory for the companies. The network already provides content for the company’s paid service in Japan.

Subscribers to such competing streaming services as Netflix and Amazon already have access to a number of the shows Hulu Plus will begin offering next year. The Twilight Zone and Star Trek have been available on Netflix for some time.

Tech Crunch points out that CBS was the only network missing from Hulu’s paid service. The company is notoriously protective of its content, and rarely offers any of its shows online. Although many were hoping some of the network’s newer shows would make the cut, CBS could change its mind regarding broadcast content at a later date.

Hulu recently bought out early investor Providence Equity Partners, which means that the company is now under the control of parent and content providers Fox, Disney, and NBC Universal. The CBS deal suggests that the company is still dedicated to moving forward.

Are you excited about the library deal between CBS and Hulu?