Article Image

NBCUniversal joins Hulu's upcoming buffet of live-TV streaming options

Hulu is busy making deals ahead of the launch of its live-TV streaming service, announcing a new official partnership with NBCUniversal that will bring a host new channels to the service.

Hulu is busy making deals for its anticipated live-TV streaming service and its announced partnership with NBCUniversal will bring all of NBCUniversal’s channels to the new live-TV service when it launches in the coming weeks.

In total, 15 NBCUniversal channels will be available both live and on-demand on Hulu’s upcoming TV streaming service, which Hulu claims brings the current channel count to over 50 total. These channels will include NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, USA, SyFy, Bravo, E!, CNBC, and NBC Sports Network, among others.

Those who subscribe to Hulu’s new TV service will be able to stay current with late-night NBC favorites like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; will be able to catch breaking news on MSNBC; and will have access to regional sports content through NBC Sports Network in Chicago, Philadelphia, New England, Mid-Atlantic, California’s Bay Area, and the Pacific Northwest. As a result of the deal, Hulu’s service will also now carry live local NBC and Telemundo affiliate programming in larger markets like Los Angeles.

Other content coming to Hulu’s live TV service includes programming from the other three major networks, ABC, Fox, and CBS, as well as programming from A&E Networks, which owns channels like A&E, History, and Viceland. The service will also carry all content currently available in the highest premium Hulu subscription, making it an enticing deal to current Hulu subscribers.

In terms of the competition, this latest deal is a big get for Hulu, though seeing that the Comcast-owned NBCUniversal conglomerate is a 30 percent stake holder in the company, it’s hardly surprising. As the live-TV streaming market continues to grow and saturate — with services like SlingTV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Now, and PlayStation Vue all available, and more sure to come — it is important for Hulu to match, if not outmatch, the competition in any way it can.

Hulu’s promise to bring NBCUniversal’s programming to all markets, rather than select markets as with SlingTV or DirecTV, is a good start for the forthcoming service. Depending on which markets it launches in, and how much programming is immediately available at its $40 price point, it isn’t hard to imagine Hulu’s package giving its soon-to-be rival streaming services a run for their money.

Hulu’s live-TV streaming service is set to launch sometime this spring, with prices starting at about $40 per month.

Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.

Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV

Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.

The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.

This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.

Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.