Discovery inks Hulu deal, talking to Netflix

Hulu has picked up a raft of Discovery Communications titles including exclusive SVOD rights to hit reality series Deadliest Catch. The news came as Discovery said it was in talks with Netflix about a programming deal.

US on-demand and streaming service Hulu has taken a raft of shows from the main Discovery channel and other Discovery nets including Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and TLC.

The titles in the Discovery-Hulu agreement include Mythbusters (pictured), The Little Couple, Say Yes to the Dress, Treehouse Masters, How It’s Made and Homicide Hunter.

All of the Discovery shows will go up on the premium Hulu Plus service at the start of January 2015. Discovery has, historically, been very protective of its digital rights and the agreement is the first of its kind between it and Hulu.

Rebecca Glashow, senior VP of digital distribution and partnerships, Discovery Communications said: “Hulu’s offering is as compelling for viewers as it is for programming partners, with a rich, brand-friendly environment to showcase both the strong lineup of Discovery content available on Hulu, as well as our world-class linear TV brands.”

Craig Erwich, senior VP and head of content, Hulu, added “This new agreement with Discovery Communications enhances our catalogue of high-quality programming in a variety of genres, including some of the most popular unscripted series on television today.”

Meanwhile, Discovery CEO David Zaslav told the UBS global media and communications conference that the company is talking to Netflix about a streaming deal for its content. He said both parties want to do a deal, but had yet to come to a financial agreement.