You might think of Hulu as the place to go for TV shows the day after they're broadcast. That is, indeed, the service in its current incarnation: the place where "New Girl" shows up the day after it airs.
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Celebrate!
But Hulu is in the process of transforming into a live TV service as well, similar to a traditional cable TV operator. And that new, live TV service just got a ton more channels: CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, TNT, and more. Not a bad haul!
So, where is all this stuff coming from? Who's paying who?
Time Warner, the company that owns all these channels, just bought a 10% stake in Hulu. Alongside that buy-in is the guarantee of Time Warner's many TV channels (and the content they produce) coming to Hulu's live TV offering.
"Turner has signed an affiliate agreement for its full suite of networks to be carried on Hulu's live-streaming service slated for launch early next year," the company said in its announcement press release.
Turner's "full suite" of TV channels includes CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, TNT, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, truTV, Turner Sports, and Boomerang.
CNN
Shows like CNN's "Parts Unknown," starring Anthony Bourdain, will appear on Hulu's live TV service in early 2017.
Time Warner is far from the first major TV content creator to hook up with Hulu's live TV service. NBCUniversal, Disney and Fox are all in talks with Hulu to offer channels on the new service; a survey obtained by CordCuttersNews also indicates that the service will offer local channels, at least in some areas, similar to how Sony's PlayStation Vue TV service operates.
There are still lots of questions about the new service, like when exactly it will launch and how much it'll cost. Rumors put the service at between $30 and $40/month, with an expected launch in early 2017.