Hulu is up on the auction block, and Google is among the bidders interested in adding the company to their stables. Yahoo and Microsoft are also reportedly interested in purchasing the internet video streaming service and its collection of licenses for TV shows and movies. The Los Angeles Times spoke to individuals in the know and reports Google is particularly interested in the advertising power of the Hulu platform, which is not surprising based on the fact that Google’s main source of revenue comes from display ads.
Nothing is finalized, but an acquisition would further Google’s push as a media provider, adding to their movie rentals already available via the Android Market and helping to legitimize official, high quality content on YouTube in the eyes of entertainment industry execs. Really, we’d just be happy if the sale meant better Hulu integration into the Android OS.
