Hulu ran a big Super Bowl ad promoting its live sports streaming just minutes after its Live service crashed for subscribers before the big game
The Super Bowl is the ultimate test for streaming services betting on live sports, and Hulu got off to a rough start tonight.
Ahead of kickoff at the Super Bowl, some Hulu subscribers complained on Twitter that the live sports streaming service was crashing. A Hulu spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Hulu later ran a 30-second commercial starring football star and former New England quarterback Tom Brady promoting Hulu's live streaming and on-demand library of content.
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Live sports has been a big focus for Hulu. In May, a Hulu exec said that 65% of live-sports viewers go on to watch Hulu's library of on-demand content. That's a big deal for Hulu because the company keeps all revenue from its on-demand viewing but only 15% from ads that run during its live service.
Live TV is also lucrative for Hulu. A subscription typically costs $54.99 a month with access to 65 live and on-demand TV channels, according to Hulu's website. Hulu also offers ad-supported and ad-free streaming plans. Hulu is running a promo for the Super Bowl to offer one week of live streaming for the Super Bowl.Â
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