Hulu Reaches 20 Million U.S. Subscribers, Throws Shade at Netflix

Netflix better watch out because Hulu’s got #game.

Hulu announced Wednesday that the company had reached more than 20 million U.S. subscribers and will add a lineup of new shows and features, according to a press release.

These new features include an option to download episodes and watch them offline, as well as offering advertising in live TV, allowing brands the opportunity to reach Hulu’s audiences during its live sports, news, and entertainment programming.

Other headlining announcements include:  

• Hulu will add Mindy Kaling’s Four Weddings and a Funeral and Ramy, a new comedy series from Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and A24, to the Hulu Original’s library.
• Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale will return for a third season.
• Hulu is now the only place to stream ABC’s hit drama series The Good Doctor.
• Hulu has signed a multi-year deal with DreamWorks Animation, making it the exclusive streaming home to future slates of DreamWorks films.

Yet, while celebrating the company’s success, Hulu also seemed ready to take down any competition.

“In the race for premium entertainment, Hulu has the creativity and the resources to go head-to-head with anyone and win,” CEO Randy Freer said during the Digital Content NewFronts in New York on Wednesday, reports CNN Money.

Mindy Kaling was also at this meeting and had some shade to throw at Hulu’s competition (read: Netflix).

“Hulu doesn’t just drown you with 12 episodes of a show all at once, and then an Adam Sandler movie every other week,” she said, adding that Hulu “also isn’t an add-on to the website where you buy tampons and garden hoses.” (Oh snap, yeah she went there). 

Netflix, which has more than 55 million U.S. subscribers, remains the country’s No. 1 streaming service, begging the question: While Hulu is talking big, do they even have a chance of competing with Netflix?

Daniel Ives, an analyst with GBH Insights, remains optimistic about Hulu’s future. “Outside of Netflix, there’s a battle going on for who can be the No. 2, No. 3 player,” Ives tells CNN Money. Hulu recognizes it has a window to “really try to establish itself within Hollywood” as an alternative, he adds.

We don’t know about you, but we love us a good streaming service catfight and are curious to see if Netflix will make a move next. In the end, we’re just eternally grateful for companies that enable our couch potato binge-watching lifestyle. 

Are you a loyal Netflix watcher or do fancy Hulu? Do you think Hulu has some tricks up its sleeve? Let us know in the comments below.