The L.A. Timesreports that Comcast is seeking an acquisition or joint venture with NBC Universal. A deal could put Comcast in charge of Hulu, an online service that lets people watch free tv shows from several networks. Comcast could then turn Hulu in a subscription website, ending the popular free, advertising-based tv model the website was built on.
The nation's leading cable company has made no secret of its disdain for Hulu's approach of giving away the shows that Comcast and other pay-TV distributors spend billions for -- and rely on to retain subscribers. Comcast is in talks with NBC Universal about pooling their entertainment assets into a new company that would own 30% of Hulu in addition to the NBC network and cable channels such as Bravo, E! and Syfy. Comcast would control the new entity and possibly have the clout to push Hulu to begin charging for access to some of its most popular shows, including "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" or "Psych."
Comcast's rumored subscription plan sounds like a great plan if you want to put a quick end to Hulu's torrid growth. The plan would garner Comcast some paying subscribers but it would slowly drain the life out of Hulu as the majority of Hulu users went elsewhere for content.
The L.A. Times 
