ITV in talks to put content on Hulu

ITV Global Content is in talks with Hulu and wants to put its programming on the NBC and News Corp-backed US web video portal.

Global Content is the international production and content businesses of ITV, the UK commercial broadcaster.

Global Content managing director Lee Bartlett, who was in his previous job at News Corp-backed Fox when Hulu launched, said ITV-Hulu talks are ongoing. “We’ve talked about going on the Hulu site – we have a lot of good content that we have never put on a site like that.”

An agreement, if finalised, would likely see ITV use a mix of newer shows and older content on Hulu.

“The best way to do it would be to use current shows, to put them up as a leader,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett has already forged closer links between ITV Global Content and US companies. Late last year he sealed a co-development deal with Fox that also contained provision for the partners to look at the other’s catalog with a view to reversioning shows for their domestic markets.

At the time it was announced that ITV would work up a UK version of US comedy series Dharma and Greg. Fox is now close to optioning three ITV series, with a view to piloting US versions, Bartlett said.

Meanwhile, ITV’s US division Granada America will be renamed Granada Studios. Bartlett has already overseen the ITV Productions name change to ITV Studios.