The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service . The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and is now used by many businesses, websites and even pharmaceutical companies in partnership with governments.
86-670: Hulu ( / ˈ h uː l uː / , HOO -loo ) (stylized as " hulu ") is an American subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming , a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of The Walt Disney Company . It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as a joint venture between News Corporation (later 21st Century Fox ) and NBC Universal (later bought by Comcast ), Providence Equity , and later The Walt Disney Company, serving as an aggregation of recent episodes of television series from their respective television broadcasting . In 2010, Hulu launched
172-401: A boxed version of Apple 's Mac OS X Public Beta operating system was released. Between September 2005 and May 2006, Microsoft released community technology preview s ( CTP s) for Windows Vista . From 2009 to 2011, Minecraft was in public beta. In February 2005, ZDNet published an article about the phenomenon of a beta version often staying for years and being used as if it were at
258-537: A closed beta , or an open beta ; closed beta versions are released to a restricted group of individuals for a user test by invitation, while open beta testers are from a larger group, or anyone interested. Private beta could be suitable for the software that is capable of delivering value but is not ready to be used by everyone either due to scaling issues, lack of documentation or still missing vital features. The testers report any bugs that they find, and sometimes suggest additional features they think should be available in
344-438: A feature freeze , indicating that no more features will be added to the software. At this time, the software is said to be feature-complete . A beta test is carried out following acceptance testing at the supplier's site (the alpha test) and immediately before the general release of the software as a product. A feature-complete (FC) version of a piece of software has all of its planned or primary features implemented but
430-403: A preview , preview release , prototype , technical preview or technology preview ( TP ), or early access . Beta testers are people who actively report issues with beta software. They are usually customers or representatives of prospective customers of the organization that develops the software. Beta testers tend to volunteer their services free of charge but often receive versions of
516-502: A 10 percent stake in the company for US$ 100 million equity investment , before the company was known as "Hulu". With its investment came a seat on the board of directors, where Providence was said to act as an "independent voice on the board". In April 2009, The Walt Disney Company joined the Hulu consortium as a stakeholder, with plans to offer content from ABC , ESPN and Disney Channel . Early in 2010, Hulu chief executive Jason Kilar said
602-631: A 24/7 web channel, but in 2014 it had switched to Hulu-only. The site contained exclusive dub premieres with anime such as Accel World , Blue Exorcist , Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic , Fate/Zero and the uncut version of Sailor Moon . It also had shows such as Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden , Death Note , Inuyasha , Bakuman , Ranma ½ , One Piece , One Punch Man , and Bleach . It went defunct on May 4, 2016. However, Hulu still hosts over 300 anime from Funimation , Aniplex of America , Viz Media , and Sentai Filmworks , and selected anime began resume to release on Hulu following
688-467: A beta version to the users is called beta release and is typically the first time that the software is available outside of the organization that developed it. Software beta releases can be either open or closed , depending on whether they are openly available or only available to a limited audience. Beta version software is often useful for demonstrations and previews within an organization and to prospective customers. Some developers refer to this stage as
774-628: A division of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) with Comcast effectively becoming a silent partner . Under the agreement, Comcast's 33% stake can be sold to Disney at fair market value as early as 2024. The fair market value will be determined at that time, but Disney guaranteed a minimum valuation of the entire company at $ 27.5 billion (valuing the Comcast stake as worth at least $ 9.075 billion). Randy Freer would report to Disney executive Kevin Mayer . Disney stated that its control of Hulu
860-530: A light-hearted pop-culture news show. It was produced by Hulu in conjunction with Jace Hall 's HDFilms and stars Brian Kimmet and Ginger Gonzaga . Producing the show was a first for the company, which in the past has been primarily a content distributor. On January 16, 2012, Hulu announced that it would be airing its first original script based program, titled Battleground , which premiered in February 2012. The program aired on Hulu's free web service rather than on
946-545: A minimum floor price of $ 8.6 billion, which was paid for on December 1. On December 6, 2023, Disney launched a content hub for Disney+, which contains Hulu content for Disney Bundle subscribers in the United States in beta. The Disney+ hub officially launched in March 2024; Hulu also continued to be available through its own app. From January 17, 2011, to April 24, 2014, Hulu streamed its own in-house web series The Morning After ,
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#17328488143171032-649: A paid subscription model is being favoured by more publishers who see it as a comparatively stable income stream. In the field of academic publishing , the subscription business model means that articles of a specific journal or conference proceedings are only available to subscribers. Subscriptions are typically sold to universities and other higher education institutions and research institutes , though some academic publishers also sell individual subscriptions or access to individual articles. In contrast with other media such as newspapers , subscription fees to academic publishers generally do not go towards supporting
1118-744: A partnership with Spotify that allows users to purchase both streaming services for a discounted price per month. This discount also includes an even larger discounted rate for university students. Hulu distributes video on its own website and syndicates its hosting to other sites, and allows users to embed Hulu clips on their websites. In addition to NBC, ABC and Fox programs and movies, Hulu carries shows from networks: A&E , Big Ten Network , Bravo , E! , Fox Sports 2 , FX , PBS , NFL Network , Oxygen , RT America , Fox Sports 1 , SundanceTV , Syfy , USA Network , NBCSN , and online comedy sources such as Onion News Network . Hulu retains between thirty and fifty percent of advertising revenue generated by
1204-440: A perpetual licensing model to a subscription model, known as " software as a service ". This move has significant implications for sales and customer support organizations. Over time, the need to close large deals decreases, resulting in lower sales costs. However, the size of the customer support organization increases so that the paying customers stay happy. Consumers may find subscriptions convenient if they believe they will buy
1290-422: A predictable and constant revenue stream from subscribed individuals for the duration of the subscriber's agreement. Not only does this greatly reduce uncertainty and the riskiness of the enterprise, but it often provides payment in advance (as with magazines, and concert tickets), while allowing customers to become greatly attached to using the service and, therefore, more likely to extend by signing an agreement for
1376-924: A product or service , or, in the case of performance-oriented organizations such as opera companies , tickets to the entire run of some set number of (e.g., five to fifteen) scheduled performances for a whole season. Thus, a one-time sale of a product can become a recurring sale and build brand loyalty . Industries that use this model include mail order book sales clubs and music sales clubs, private web mail providers, cable television , satellite television providers with pay television channels, providers with digital catalogs with downloadable music or eBooks, audiobooks, satellite radio , telephone companies , mobile network operators , internet providers, software publishers , websites (e.g., blogging websites), business solutions providers, financial firms, health clubs , lawn mowing and snowplowing services, pharmaceuticals , renting an apartment, property taxes, as well as
1462-404: A product regularly and might save money. The customer saves time for repeated delivery of the product or service. Subscriptions which exist to support clubs and organizations call their subscribers "members" and they are given access to a group with similar interests. Subscription pricing can make it easier to pay for expensive items since they can often be paid for over time and thus can make
1548-576: A psychological phenomenon may occur when a customer renews a subscription, that may not occur during a one-time transaction: if the buyer is not satisfied with the service, he/she can leave the subscription to expire and find another seller. Because customers may only need or want some of the items received, this can lead to waste and an adverse effect on the environment, depending on the products. Greater volumes of production, greater energy and natural resource consumption , and subsequently greater disposal costs are incurred. Subscription models also create
1634-428: A single purchase. In addition, subscription models increase the possibility of vendor lock-in , which can have fatally business-critical implications for a customer if its business depends on the availability of software: For example, without an online connection to a licensing server to verify the licensing status every once in a while, a software under a subscription-model would typically stop functioning or fall back to
1720-462: A software product is available for purchase, depending, however, on language, region, and electronic vs. media availability. Commercialization activities could include security and compliance tests, as well as localization and worldwide availability. The time between RTM and GA can take from days to months before a generally available release can be declared, due to the time needed to complete all commercialization activities required by GA. At this stage,
1806-512: A subscription service, initially branded as "Hulu Plus", which featured full seasons of programs from the companies and other partners, and un-delayed access to new episodes. In 2017, the company launched Hulu with Live TV—an over-the-top streaming television service offering access to broadcast television channels. In 2011, Hulu launched its services in Japan , marking its first and only international expansion. Three years later in 2014, Hulu Japan
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#17328488143171892-472: A subsidiary of Nippon as part of a separate agreement. On August 3, 2016, Time Warner (later WarnerMedia , now Warner Bros. Discovery ) acquired a 10 percent stake of Hulu. Hopkins exited and was named Sony Pictures TV Chairman. Fox Networks Group COO Randy Freer was named CEO on October 24, 2017. On March 20, 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox , giving it a 60% majority stake in Hulu. On April 15, 2019, WarnerMedia sold its 10% stake in Hulu back to
1978-412: Is called code complete when the development team agrees that no entirely new source code will be added to this release. There could still be source code changes to fix defects, changes to documentation and data files, and peripheral code for test cases or utilities. Beta testers, if privately selected, will often be credited for using the release candidate as though it were a finished product. Beta testing
2064-740: Is conducted in a client's or customer's location and to test the software from a user's perspective. Also called production release , the stable release is the last release candidate ( RC ) which has passed all stages of verification and tests. Any known remaining bugs are considered acceptable. This release goes to production . Some software products (e.g. Linux distributions like Debian ) also have long-term support ( LTS ) releases which are based on full releases that have already been tried and tested and receive only security updates. This allows developers to allocate more time toward product development instead of updating code or finding and fixing newly introduced bugs due to outdated assumptions about
2150-450: Is considering merging Hulu into Disney+ because the model had been successful outside the United States without any content friction. To accelerate the plan, he said that Disney would love to buy out Comcast's 33.3% stake in Hulu earlier than their previously agreed 2024 timeline. However, Comcast had not offered reasonable terms for an early buyout and had instead expressed interest in buying Hulu themselves if it were for sale. On May 18, it
2236-433: Is important to have full access even to old files for decades). Also, consumers may find repeated payments to be onerous. Subscription models often require or allow the business to gather substantial amounts of information from the customer (such as magazine mailing lists), and this raises issues of privacy . A subscription model may benefit the software buyer if it forces the supplier to improve its product. Accordingly,
2322-425: Is limited to paying subscribers. In addition to the freemium model, other subscription pricing variations are gaining traction. For instance, the tiered pricing model is frequently used in software as a service (SaaS) platforms, offering customers different access levels and features based on their subscription tier. This model is particularly effective for tailoring services to customer requirements. Another approach
2408-448: Is not yet final due to bugs , performance or stability issues. This occurs at the end of alpha testing in development . Usually, feature-complete software still has to undergo beta testing and bug fixing , as well as performance or stability enhancement before it can go to release candidate , and finally gold status. Beta, named after the second letter of the Greek alphabet , is
2494-582: Is over the rating limit (maximum TV-14 and PG-13) in United States market begins to release on Hulu. Following the start of its service, Hulu signed deals with several new content providers making additional material available to consumers. On April 30, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced that it would join the venture, purchasing a 27 percent stake in Hulu. Starting August 15, 2011, viewers of content from Fox and related networks are required to authenticate paid cable or satellite service wherever Fox streams episodes, including on Hulu, to be able to watch them
2580-424: Is refined and tested further, before the final version is released. Some software, particularly in the internet and technology industries, is released in a perpetual beta state, meaning that it is continuously being updated and improved, and is never considered to be a fully completed product. This approach allows for a more agile development process and enables the software to be released and used by users earlier in
2666-446: Is sold as part of a bundle in a related computer hardware sale and typically where the software and related hardware is ultimately to be available and sold on mass/public basis at retail stores to indicate that the software has met a defined quality level and is ready for mass retail distribution. RTM could also mean in other contexts that the software has been delivered or released to a client or customer for installation or distribution to
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2752-438: Is the process of developing, testing, and distributing a software product (e.g., an operating system ). It typically consists of several stages, such as pre-alpha, alpha, beta, and release candidate, before the final version, or "gold", is released to the public. Pre-alpha refers to the early stages of development, when the software is still being designed and built. Alpha testing is the first phase of formal testing, during which
2838-494: Is the usage-based pricing model, which calculates charges based on the extent of service or product utilization by the customer. This model is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in services where customer usage varies significantly. There are different categories of subscriptions: In publishing, the subscription model typically involves a paywall , paysite , or other "toll-access" system (named in opposition to open access ). As revenues from digital advertising diminish,
2924-409: Is typically the final build of a piece of software in the beta stages for developers. Typically, for iOS , it is the final build before a major release, however, there have been a few exceptions. RTM is typically used in certain retail mass-production software contexts—as opposed to a specialized software production or project in a commercial or government production and distribution—where the software
3010-571: The 32-bit editions of Windows XP and two service packs for the 64-bit editions. Such service releases contain a collection of updates, fixes, and enhancements, delivered in the form of a single installable package. They may also implement new features. Some software is released with the expectation of regular support. Classes of software that generally involve protracted support as the norm include anti-virus suites and massively multiplayer online games . Continuing with this Windows XP example, Microsoft did offer paid updates for five more years after
3096-425: The "alpha/beta" test terminology originated at IBM . Similar terminologies for IBM's software development were used by people involved with IBM from at least the 1950s (and probably earlier). "A" test was the verification of a new product before the public announcement. The "B" test was the verification before releasing the product to be manufactured. The "C" test was the final test before the general availability of
3182-655: The Life , and Up to Speed were previously mentioned; and on April 19, Hulu added four more shows to its list: Don't Quit Your Daydream , Flow , The Awesomes , and We Got Next . Some of these programs began airing in 2012, while others premiered over the next few years. On May 21, 2012, Hulu announced it would be bringing Kevin Smith to its lineup of original programming. Smith hosts a movie discussion show titled Spoilers , which began airing in mid-2012. In March 2016, Lionsgate Premiere and Hulu jointly acquired distribution rights to
3268-483: The United States on March 12, 2008. Hulu began an advertising campaign during NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII with an initial ad starring Alec Baldwin titled "Alec in Huluwood". Advertisements have since aired featuring Eliza Dushku , Seth MacFarlane , Denis Leary , and Will Arnett . In July 2007, Providence Equity , the owner of Newport Television , became one of the earliest "outside" investors by purchasing
3354-601: The acquisition, Disney soft launched an integration of Hulu into Disney+ as a content hub in December 2023, allowing subscribers to both services to access Hulu content from within the Disney+ apps. The name Hulu comes from two Mandarin Chinese phrases, húlu ( 葫芦 ; 葫蘆 ; " calabash , bottle gourd") and hùlù ( 互 录 ; 互 錄 ; "interactive recording"). Jason Kilar , who served as CEO of Hulu, said
3440-460: The analyst knows who is an active customer and who recently churned. Additional benefits include a higher average customer lifetime value (ACLV) than that of nonrecurring business models, greater customer inertia and a more committed customer base as it transitions from purchase to opt-out decisions, and more potential for upselling and cross-selling other products or services. Some software companies such as Adobe and Autodesk have moved from
3526-538: The company also showcased an "immersive" experience at San Diego Comic-Con to promote the occasion, titled Hulu Animayhem: Into the Second Dimension . The hub was also launched on Disney+ internationally the following year. On September 6, 2023, Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts announced that Hulu's equity fair value will be assessed as of September 30. In November 2023, Disney began their acquisition of Comcast's stake in Hulu. The two companies previously agreed to
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3612-493: The company at more than $ 2 billion. In June 2011, an "unsolicited offer" caused Hulu to begin "weighing whether to sell itself". However, Hulu and its owners refused to sell the company, as none of the bidders offered an amount that was satisfactory to its owners. In September of that year, the service launched in Japan ; marking Hulu's first international expansion. Hulu generated $ 420 million in revenue in 2011, $ 80 million short of
3698-420: The company for $ 1.43 billion, leaving Disney with 67% and Comcast with 33%. Comcast, the only other shareholder, announced on May 14, 2019, that it had agreed to cede its control to Disney, and reached an agreement for Disney to purchase its 33% stake in the company as early as 2024. On May 14, 2019, Comcast relinquished its control in Hulu to Disney effective immediately. As a result, the streaming service became
3784-423: The company's target. The vacant CEO post was officially filled by former Fox Networks President Mike Hopkins on October 17, 2013. In October 2012, Providence sold its 10 percent stake to "Hulu's media owners" and ceased participation in the board. On February 27, 2014, Nippon Television Network Corporation acquired Hulu's Japanese business . The service would retain the "Hulu" brand and technology in Japan under
3870-492: The creation of the content: the scientific articles are written by scientists and reviewed by other scientists as part of their work duties. The publisher does not pay the paper authors and reviewers. In this light, the subscription model has been called undesirable by proponents of the open access movement. Academic publications that use the subscription model are called "closed-access" in opposition to their open-access counterparts. Businesses benefit because they are assured
3956-542: The current economic model, there is not that much in it for us to continue at this time. If they can get to the point where the monetization model is better, then we may go back." In February 2011, both shows were made available for streaming on Hulu again. The Daily Show was again removed from Hulu in March 2017 in order to push viewers to watch the program on Viacom and Comedy Central's apps. In 2012, Viz Media , Aniplex of America , and other distributors teamed up to create Neon Alley . It had launched on October 2, 2012, as
4042-411: The deal between Disney and Sony Pictures since 2021. In April 2017, Hulu signed a first-run license deal with Annapurna Pictures . Hulu also has output deals with IFC Films and Magnolia Pictures . Subscription business model Rather than selling products individually, a subscription offers periodic (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, semi-annual, yearly/annual, or seasonal) use or access to
4128-406: The development cycle. Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the software project before formal testing. These activities can include requirements analysis , software design , software development , and unit testing . In typical open source development, there are several types of pre-alpha versions. Milestone versions include specific sets of functions and are released as soon as
4214-484: The end of extended support. This means that support ended on April 8, 2019. When software is no longer sold or supported, the product is said to have reached end-of-life, to be discontinued, retired, deprecated, abandoned, or obsolete, but user loyalty may continue its existence for some time, even long after its platform is obsolete—e.g., the Common Desktop Environment and Sinclair ZX Spectrum . After
4300-464: The end user to verify the integrity and authenticity of the software purchase. A copy of the RTM build known as the " gold master " or GM is sent for mass duplication or disc replication if applicable. The terminology is taken from the audio record-making industry, specifically the process of mastering . RTM precedes general availability (GA) when the product is released to the public. A golden master build (GM)
4386-422: The end-of-life date, the developer will usually not implement any new features, fix existing defects, bugs, or vulnerabilities (whether known before that date or not), or provide any support for the product. If the developer wishes, they may release the source code, so the platform will live again, and be maintained by volunteers, and if not, it may be reverse-engineered later when it becomes abandonware . Usage of
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#17328488143174472-460: The feature is complete. The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase of software testing (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet , used as the number 1). In this phase, developers generally test the software using white-box techniques . Additional validation is then performed using black-box or gray-box techniques, by another testing team. Moving to black-box testing inside
4558-479: The film Joshy , which was later released on August 12, 2016. On May 4, 2016, Hulu acquired The Beatles: Eight Days a Week , as its first documentary acquisition, as part of a planned Hulu Documentary Films collection. The film premiered theatrically on September 15, before debuting on the streaming service on September 17. Since September 2022, selected International programs that released on Disney+ 's Star Hub and Disney+ original International content that
4644-611: The final version. Open betas serve the dual purpose of demonstrating a product to potential consumers, and testing among a wide user base is likely to bring to light obscure errors that a much smaller testing team might not find. A release candidate ( RC ), also known as gamma testing or "going silver", is a beta version with the potential to be a stable product, which is ready to release unless significant bugs emerge. In this stage of product stabilization, all product features have been designed, coded, and tested through one or more beta cycles with no known showstopper-class bugs. A release
4730-574: The first 12 months. In 2015, Hulu began offering content from Showtime for an additional $ 8.99/month, which is cheaper than Showtime's own streaming service. On June 16, 2016, Hulu announced a deal with the Disney-ABC Television Group for the exclusive SVOD rights to past seasons of seven Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD series, and more than 20 Disney Channel original movies. The CW's agreement with Hulu ended September 18, 2016; in-season streaming of current CW programs moved to
4816-426: The functionality of a freemium version, thereby making it impossible (to continue) to use the software in remote places or particularly secure environments without internet access, after the vendor has stopped supporting the version or software, or even has gone out of business leaving the customer without a chance to renew the subscription and access his data or designs maintained with the software (in some businesses it
4902-459: The lead designer on Hulu's original design team, played a key role in shaping the platform's initial interface and user experience. Hulu was announced in March 2007 with AOL , NBCUniversal (then co-owned by General Electric and Vivendi ), MSN , Myspace (then owned by News Corporation ), and Yahoo! planned as "initial distribution partners". Before the company starts, the glow was the international named Netflix in 2022. Years ago, Jason Kilar
4988-476: The morning after the first airing. Non-subscribers will see those episodes delayed a week before they are viewable. On October 28, 2011, Hulu announced that they had signed a five-year deal with The CW , giving the streaming site access to next-day content from five of the six major networks. On September 18, 2013, Hulu announced a multi-year deal with the BBC that would deliver 2,000 episodes from 144 different titles in
5074-500: The name comes from a Chinese proverb : Hulu is Mandarin for gourd. And so when we were launching Hulu, we thought, "what a great name that is." And it had this great sort of symbolism of the holder of precious things, which is the holder of premium content. So that's why we named it Hulu. Individuals who were instrumental in the founding of Hulu include Bruce Campbell, Peter Chernin, JB Perrette, Mike Lang , Beth Comstock , George Kliavkoff, Darren Feher, and Jason Kilar . Rus Yusupov ,
5160-484: The network's own digital platforms, and Netflix began to carry past seasons of The CW's programs through 2019. As of January 2017, a limited amount of content from CBS 's library is available on-demand, mostly limited to shows that are no longer producing new episodes. A deal was reached to bring live broadcasts of CBS and several affiliated channels to Hulu's upcoming live streaming service as well as to make more shows available on-demand. In April 2018, Hulu announced
5246-430: The new structure, Hulu's SVP of Original Scripted Content would report directly to the chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment. As of November 2019, FX and Fox Searchlight were assigned to supply Hulu with content. In January 2020, Disney eliminated the role of Hulu CEO, with its top executives to report directly to DTCI and Walt Disney Television. On January 31, 2020, Freer resigned as CEO of Hulu and
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#17328488143175332-544: The next period close to when the current agreement expires. In an integrated software solution, for example, the subscription pricing structure is designed so that the revenue stream from the recurring subscriptions is considerably more significant than the revenue from simple one-time purchases. Some subscription schemes (like magazines) also increase sales by not allowing subscribers to accept or reject any specific issue. This reduces customer acquisition costs and allows personalized marketing or database marketing . However,
5418-441: The opposite effect. This can be illustrated by subscribing to a service for mowing lawns. The effective use of a single mower increases when mowing for a collection of homes; instead of every family owning a lawnmower that is not used as much as the service-providing mower, the use of resources for producing lawnmowers, therefore, decreases while lawns stay cut. Software release life cycle The software release life cycle
5504-542: The organization is known as alpha release . Alpha software is not thoroughly tested by the developer before it is released to customers. Alpha software may contain serious errors, and any resulting instability could cause crashes or data loss. Alpha software may not contain all of the features that are planned for the final version. In general, external availability of alpha software is uncommon for proprietary software , while open source software often has publicly available alpha versions. The alpha phase usually ends with
5590-614: The position was eliminated; Hulu's top executives now report directly to DTCI and Walt Disney Television. In June 2021, Comcast accused Disney of undermining Hulu's growth and value by not engaging in international expansion of the service, having instead added the Star brand as an extension of Disney+ in selected markets. On September 7, 2021, Hulu announced that the prices of its main video on-demand and ad-free plans would increase by $ 1 each to $ 6.99 and $ 12.99 per-month beginning October 8. In October 2021, Hulu president Kelly Campbell resigned, and
5676-425: The product seem more affordable. On the other hand, most newspaper and magazine-type subscriptions are paid upfront, which may prevent some customers from subscribing. Fixed prices may be an advantage for consumers who frequently use those services. However, it could disadvantage a customer who plans to use the service frequently but later does not. The commitment to paying for a package may have been more expensive than
5762-485: The product they test, discounts on the release version, or other incentives. Some software is kept in so-called perpetual beta , where new features are continually added to the software without establishing a final "stable" release. As the Internet has facilitated the rapid and inexpensive distribution of software, companies have begun to take a looser approach to the use of the word beta . Developers may release either
5848-548: The product. As software became a significant part of IBM's offerings, the alpha test terminology was used to denote the pre-announcement test and the beta test was used to show product readiness for general availability. Martin Belsky, a manager on some of IBM's earlier software projects claimed to have invented the terminology. IBM dropped the alpha/beta terminology during the 1960s, but by then it had received fairly wide notice. The usage of "beta test" to refer to testing done by customers
5934-510: The production level. It noted that Gmail and Google News , for example, had been in beta for a long time although widely used; Google News left beta in January 2006, followed by Google Apps (now named Google Workspace ), including Gmail, in July 2009. Since the introduction of Windows 8 , Microsoft has called pre-release software a preview rather than beta . All pre-release builds released through
6020-474: The related hardware end user computers or machines. The term does not define the delivery mechanism or volume; it only states that the quality is sufficient for mass distribution. The deliverable from the engineering organization is frequently in the form of a golden master media used for duplication or to produce the image for the web. General availability ( GA ) is the marketing stage at which all necessary commercialization activities have been completed and
6106-423: The service had made a profit in two quarters and that the company could top $ 100 million in revenue by summer 2010, more than its income for all of 2009. ComScore says monthly video streams reached 903 million in January 2010, over three times the figure for a year earlier, and second only to YouTube . On August 16, 2010, a report revealed that Hulu was planning an initial public offering (IPO) which could value
6192-455: The service. On July 10, 2023, Hulu launched an adult animation and anime hub known as Animayhem , featuring several different 20th Television Animation programs, including American Dad , Bob's Burgers , Family Guy , The Cleveland Show , and King of the Hill , among various others. Additionally, new seasons of Futurama and King of the Hill were commissioned for the service, while
6278-547: The shows it distributes. In November 2009, Hulu also began to establish partnerships with record labels to host music videos and concert performances on the site, including EMI in November 2009, and Warner Music Group in December 2009. In early March 2010, Viacom announced that it was pulling two of the website's most popular shows, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show , off Hulu. The programs had been airing on Hulu since late 2008. A spokesman for Viacom noted that "in
6364-459: The software development phase following alpha. A beta phase generally begins when the software is feature-complete but likely to contain several known or unknown bugs. Software in the beta phase will generally have many more bugs in it than completed software and speed or performance issues, and may still cause crashes or data loss. The focus of beta testing is reducing impacts on users, often incorporating usability testing . The process of delivering
6450-654: The software has "gone live". Release to the Web ( RTW ) or Web release is a means of software delivery that utilizes the Internet for distribution. No physical media are produced in this type of release mechanism by the manufacturer. Web releases have become more common as Internet usage grew. During its supported lifetime, the software is sometimes subjected to service releases, patches or service packs , sometimes also called "interim releases" or "maintenance releases" (MR). For example, Microsoft released three major service packs for
6536-402: The software is tested internally using white-box techniques . Beta testing is the next phase, in which the software is tested by a larger group of users, typically outside of the organization that developed it. The beta phase is focused on reducing impacts on users and may include usability testing. After beta testing, the software may go through one or more release candidate phases, in which it
6622-465: The subscription-based Hulu Plus . Battleground is described as a documentary-style political drama. Later that same month, Hulu announced it would air The Fashion Fund , a six-part reality series, and the winner of the show would receive $ 300,000 to start their career. To continue with its original programming movement, Hulu announced that there would be a total of seven original programs that were planned to air on its service: Battleground , Day in
6708-413: The system requires that the business have an accurate, reliable, and timely way to manage and track subscriptions. From a marketing-analyst perspective, the vendor has the added benefit of knowing the number of currently active members since a subscription typically involves a contractual agreement. This so-called 'contractual' setting facilitates customer relationship management to a large extent because
6794-482: The traditional newspapers, magazines, and academic journals . Renewal of a subscription may be periodic and activated automatically so that the cost of a new period is automatically paid for by a pre-authorized charge to a credit card or a checking account. A common variation of the model in online games and on websites is the freemium model, in which the first tier of content is free. Still, access to premium features (for example, game power-ups or article archives)
6880-418: The used system, language, or underlying libraries. Once released, the software is generally known as a "stable release". The formal term often depends on the method of release: physical media, online release, or a web application. The term "release to manufacturing" (RTM), also known as "going gold", is a term used when a software product is ready to be delivered. This build may be digitally signed, allowing
6966-440: Was acquired by Nippon TV and spun off from its American counterpart. Since February 2021, Hulu's original content has since been distributed outside of the U.S. via Disney+ under the Star brand. In 2019, Disney acquired Fox's stake in Hulu as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, gaining a majority stake in the service, and subsequently acquired the remaining stake held by Comcast in 2023, giving it full ownership. After
7052-441: Was announced that Disney+ and Hulu would remove nearly 60 original films and series on May 26 in order to "cut costs." The news sparked some backlash, mostly towards the initial decision to remove Howard , the documentary on the life of lyricist Howard Ashman , on the eve of Pride Month and the release of the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid . However, it was confirmed the next day that film will remain available on
7138-455: Was named Hulu CEO in late 2007. NBC shut down its earlier online video effort NBBC in order to focus on Hulu. The name Hulu was chosen in late August 2007, when the website went live with an announcement only and no content. It invited users to leave their email addresses for the upcoming beta test . In October 2007, Hulu began the private beta testing by invitation, and later allowed users to invite friends. Hulu launched for public access in
7224-566: Was not done in IBM. Rather, IBM used the term "field test". Major public betas developed afterward, with early customers having purchased a "pioneer edition" of the WordVision word processor for the IBM PC for $ 49.95. In 1984, Stephen Manes wrote that "in a brilliant marketing coup, Bruce and James Program Publishers managed to get people to pay for the privilege of testing the product." In September 2000,
7310-544: Was subsequently appointed the president of NBCUniversal's competing service Peacock . On November 22, 2021, Disney and WarnerMedia reached a deal to let select 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures films stream on Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max in 2022. In March 2022, NBCUniversal decided that it will pull content from Hulu and move them to Peacock, beginning in September. In January 2022, Joe Earley became president of Hulu. In September 2022, Chapek indicated that Disney
7396-669: Was the third major component of its direct-to-consumer strategy, complementing its sports streaming service ESPN+ , and its then-forthcoming Disney+ . Hulu would be oriented towards "general" entertainment and content targeting mature audiences. NBCUniversal will continue to license its content to the service through at least 2024, but it will have the option to begin transitioning its exclusivity deals with Hulu to non-exclusive terms beginning in 2020, and to end other content deals beginning in 2022. On July 31, 2019, Disney reorganized Hulu's reporting structure, placing Hulu's Scripted Originals team under Disney General Entertainment Content . Under
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