Today, there is more competition between companies than ever before. Now, Hulu finally adds the download feature to its streaming service. The main reason that the company is doing this is that Amazon Prime Video and Netflix introduced downloads feature a few years ago. Hulu also promised a year ago, that it would introduce some method for offline viewing. The company had developed the method of adding advertising with the downloads. However, the downloading feature is present for iOS users on the “No Ads” plan of the company.
Currently, Hulu isn’t giving any timeline for the time when the support will come for the ad-supported version. The company said that its focus has shifted to mobile upgrades. These include the live guide improvements and interface upgrades. Therefore, chances are that the company won’t introduce support for the ad-supported version for some time.
At the launch, thousands of movies and TV shows are present for offline viewing. Some popular movies and TV shows include “Shrill,” “The Act,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “This Is Us,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Family Guy,” “ER”, and “How I Met Your Mother.” Moreover, most of the Hulu content is present for viewing offline because the content agreements have been negotiated to allow downloads. However, in a few cases, only the past seasons of a TV show are present for downloading.
To download the content, Hulu has added a new “Downloads” feature at the bottom of the screen. You can also check the movies and TV shows by clicking on “See what’s downloadable.” You can also search for specific names to see whether they are available for download. If they are available, a download icon will appear on the title’s details page.
You can download around 25 titles across five devices. Moreover, you will have 30 days to watch the content. Once you start the playback of downloaded content, you will have two days before the download expires. If you don’t finish watching after two days, you will have to renew the expired download. Initially, this feature will be available only for iOS users. However, according to Hulu, they will introduce the feature for Android users soon.
Hulu finally introduces the downloads feature. However, the company knows that it is a bit late to add this support. Most users today expect the download option on every site so that they can watch movies or TV shows without the internet. For example, while traveling on an underground train or a plane.
Amazon Prime Video introduced downloads to its service in 2015. Netflix, which has changed the online streaming, also introduced its download service in 2016. After that, even smaller companies have also added the downloads feature, like Showtime and CBS All Access. Therefore, it is a good thing that Hulu finally introduced this service.
Hulu avoided all queries regarding the topic. They barely even talked about the topic. However, at the 2018 Upfronts, the CEO of the company, Randy Freer said that they would introduce the feature in the “2018-19 Upfront season.” He said that the download feature would allow users to download with the ad-supported version.
However, there has been no news on why the company hasn’t introduced this feature yet. One major explanation the company gives is the big executive re-organization during summer 2018. There was the departure of the chief content officer and the SVP of Experience. However, the re-organization didn’t include the technical team of Hulu; therefore, this change couldn’t have much effect. However, the company introduced a revamped version of the mobile app this summer. According to Hulu, they prioritized this change over adding the downloads feature for the ad-supported version.
The company may also have some technical challenges for the downloads too. Moreover, making those ads to work properly may require a longer time than originally planned. Hulu may also rethink if such a feature is necessary when the company has provided the on-demand downloads.
The downloads feature came on iOS two days ago. However, you will have to update your app to get this feature.
