Disney takes ownership stake in Hulu

April 30, 2009 After weeks of speculation, Disney on Thursday announced that it has joined NBC Universal, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity owner of video content aggregator Hulu. Under the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, Hulu will offer full-length episodes of current and library Disney TV programs such as "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Private Practice," "Ugly Betty," "Scrubs," "Greek" and "General Hospital," which will be streamed on an ad-supported basis. "From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today's Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey," Disney president and CEO Bob Iger said.

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