If you’ve noticed old favorites, like the ever-popular Bob’s Burgers adult cartoon, having something of a revival, thank Fox and Hulu. The two companies have had a streaming arrangement in place for a while now and, due to its many successes, will be extending the deal further over the coming years. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, has all the details for us.
Multi-Year Partnership
In March 2023, Fox and Hulu announced a multi-year deal that gave Hulu in-season streaming rights to Fox’s primetime programming. This agreement included Fox Entertainment and Fox Alternative Entertainment shows and has worked out incredibly well for them.
The network has now signed a new, multi-year content partnership agreement with the Disney-owned streamer. The details will stay pretty much the same. Fox’s primetime shows, including Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons, will still head to Hulu the day after they premiere on Fox. Additionally, the two services share marketing, with both brands appearing on relevant promotional material.
The Fox Streaming Question
Fox, shockingly, still needs a major SVOD service of its own. While it does own the FAST service Tubi, it doesn’t carry all its programming, nor is there any next-day streaming to the platform. However, this isn’t the first rodeo for Fox and Hulu together. Fox was actually an early Hulu partner, subsequently selling its share to Disney when they acquired 21st Century Fox. However, this does mean that both Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy, two of the most-watched shows on streaming domestically according to Nielsen data, are technically owned by Disney after the merger.
It seems Fox, at least, is keen to keep Hulu as their default home for next-day streaming of their titles across scripted, non-scripted, and animated alike. The joint marketing campaign has also worked well for them, so there’s little surprise in the extension of this deal, although series fans will no doubt be glad to know their favorite hits will keep on playing for years to come.
Film and Television 