â¨Microsoft has reportedly decided not to pursue a bid for US online TV service Hulu.
The software giant was one of the potential suitors for the US on-demand service after its owners put it on the block.â¨
Wire reports today said that Microsoft has decided not to move ahead with a second-round bid for Hulu. Online retailer Amazon was also linked to a bid, but it is also reported to have pulled out. The field of potential buyers still includes Google, Yahoo and several others.
â¨Hulu is backed by Comcast, Disney and News Corp and any sale would likely give the buyer access to guaranteed content from these companies for five years.
â¨Hulu is keen to talk up its recent performance as suitors circle the company. CEO Jason Kilar blogged recently that the paid-for Hulu Plus service has almost one million subscribers at the end of the second quarter. We anticipate exceeding one million paying subscribers before the end of this summer; previously we had forecasted crossing that threshold around the end of this year, he said.â¨
Kilar added that there are now 28,000 full episodes of TV series on the subscription service, amounting to 15,000 hours of content.â¨
The update regarding the sale of the company came as it picked up new shows for its Hulu Plus including Debmar Mercury-distributed Gordon Ramsay-fronted reality series HellÂs Kitchen. Subscribers can watch episodes from the entire eight-season back catalogue.
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