Three left in for Hulu after DirecTV exit


US pay TV company DirecTV has been knocked out of the bidding for online video service Hulu, according to the Financial Times.

It reports that three bidders are now left, Amazon, Yahoo and Dish and that the asking price is expected to come in between US$1.5 billion (€1 billion) and US$2 billion.

Its current owners, Disney, NBC Universal and News Corp have put the company on the block and are expected to guarantee access to their content for an as-yet-unspecified period as part of any deal.

Hulu has long talked up its international ambitions, but has struggled to reach deals with rights holders in some territories. Its first launch outside the US will be in Japan, where it will roll out a subscription-based streaming service.