James Delahunty
22 Sep 2009 23:14
News Corp.'s MySpace is to launch a new video service within the next several months with the help of Hulu.com. Rupert Murdoch had commented earlier this year that he plans to reshape MySpace into an entertainment hub.
News Corp. owns MySpace and a large chunk of the Hulu video service. Sources told CNET that Murdoch plans to push the MySpace video service through content including feature films, TV shows and other things.
News Corp. intends to transform MySpace into something that is more attractive and useful to users, while also attracting advertisers.
Currently, MySpace does host some of Hulu's TV shows and a small number of feature-length films, but it is nowhere near the level of competitors such as Netflix's Watch Now service.
"MySpace's intention is to do a much better job of monetizing the video area," said one source. It will be interesting to see whether MySpace will offer downloads and subscription services, as Hulu is considering offering a pay-per-view option to users to gain revenue.