The video podcasting space is hotter than ever.
Spotify kicked off the format’s gold rush in 2020 when it used a combination of content deals and monetization programs to build a vast library of video podcasts. YouTube‘s dominance on TV screens helped it become a prolific podcast hub, Netflix‘s licensing agreements and original shows have put its podcasting push on the map, and TikTok‘s partnership with iHeartMedia shows it’s serious about the format, too.
Now Hulu is throwing its hat into the ring. The Disney-owned streaming service has struck a deal with the Headgum network to pick up the streaming rights for the comedy advice podcast We’re Here To Help. Twice per week, new episodes of the pod will arrive on Hulu a day before they’re available anywhere else.
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We’re Here To Help, launched in 2023, is co-hosted by actor Jake Johnson and comedian Gareth Reynolds. According to Deadline, the pod will transition to Hulu on February 10, with new episodes dropping on Sundays and Tuesdays. After the 24-hour exclusive window expires, viewers will be able to watch the new We’re Here To Help episodes on the show’s official YouTube channel.
When it comes to podcasting, Hulu is fairly green, and I’m not talking about the platform’s vivid color scheme. As with Netflix, the first Hulu podcasts to see the light of day were companions to the streamer’s original series, including Only Murders in the Building and Paradise.
Hulu, however, knows how powerful licensing deals can be. Its initial rise to prominence, way back in 2008, was fueled by its status as a go-to streaming source for network and cable TV series. One show that has had a long shelf life on Hulu is New Girl, which featured Johnson in all 146 of its episodes. The multi-hyphenate Hollywood star’s directorial debut, Self Reliance, is also available to stream on Hulu.
“We started this podcast during the actors’ strike over Zoom, and made the show independently, with no real plan beyond making something we liked and staying creative. Licensing to a streamer was never even a thought,” Johnson told Deadline, “so getting to partner with Headgum and Hulu to bring it to more people is pretty surreal. We love making the show, and with New Girl and Self Reliance already there, Hulu feels like the perfect home.”
The video licensing arms race is already so heated that there may not be much room for a new entrant like Hulu. At the same time, the industry seems to be shifting. Recent comments from The Ringer founder Bill Simmons (who is also Spotify’s Head of Talk Strategy) indicated that podcasters are eager to pledge their loyalty to platforms that see them as partners rather than cogs in the content machine.
“Netflix actually cares about having us on the platform. They’re promoting us. We’re working with them. We’re innovating with them,” Simmons told The Hollywood Reporter. “YouTube has kind of this attitude, like, ‘You’re lucky to be on YouTube,’ which congrats to them, but I’m not sure how long that’s sustainable.”
Johnson’s comments on the Hulu deal show that the platform has a good amount of goodwill it can leverage in podcast licensing negotiations. The streamer is eager to build a competitive video podcast library, and two funnymen are here to help.
