US streaming service Hulu has launched a new ad campaign after it passed 1 million subscribers for its live TV service, USA Today reports. Launched last year, the service was last reported to be at 800,000 customers in May. Overall, Hulu has more than 20 million subscribers including those who pay for its on-demand TV and movie offerings.
The company made the announcement before the annual Emmy awards for TV shows. Hulu's productions were nominated 27 times for awards, and the ad debuted during the awards ceremony.
Kelly Campbell, Hulu's chief marketing officer, confirmed the figures, saying it "has been a pretty big year for Hulu. We have won some historic awards and, importantly, grown our business tremendously."
Campbell kicked off a new marketing campaign for Hulu to underline how it offers more than TV. The new commercial features sports stars James Harden of the NBA's Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, as well as actors Sofia Vergara ('Modern Family') and real-life husband Joe Manganiello ('Justice League'). Also in the ad: Samira Wiley ('The Handmaid's Tale'), Miles Brown ('Black-ish'), comedian Sarah Silverman, who has a weekly talk show 'I Love You, America', and Ramy Youssef ('Mr. Robot'), who also has a Hulu original in the works.
In the ad, the stars tell viewers not to fly first class, never sit courtside, don't buy a king-size bed or add bacon to your burger because that will ruin the way they previously did things. And never get Hulu, they say, because its combination of live TV and sports, original content, and library of TV and movies "will ruin TV for you forever," Harden says in the ad.
