Hulu's Latest Deal is One Vampire Fans Can Really Sink Their Teeth Into

Fans of The Vampire Diaries and other CW shows will soon have a reliable source for next-day video streams. In a Hulu blog post penned by Andy Forssell, SVP of Content and Distribution, the growing video site has announced that it has struck a five-year deal with The CW. Formed after UPN and The WB said their goodbyes, The CW is a bit of an upstart network that has been struggling to keep up with the Disney-owned ABC DIS, the Comcast-owned NBC CMCSA, the News Corp.-owned Fox NWSA, and the current leader, CBS CBS. With a growing online presence and a few popular series, however, The CW is gradually attempting to compete with TV's biggest players. “Even though I'm admittedly not the target demographic for The CW — a network that targets young women ages 18-34 — that doesn't mean I can't recognize and appreciate great content when I see it,” Forssell wrote. “And The CW is home to some of the most engaging and clever shows on TV today. The CW's serialized dramas and reality series are precisely the kind of shows we aggressively pursue for our service – the kind of shows that attract a young, engaged, and savvy fan base . . . and that make that fan base care deeply.” Under the five-year licensing agreement, Hulu and Hulu Plus viewers will soon be able to watch current-season programming from The CW. Forssell did not provide a specific release date beyond “later this year.” However, he did say that when the deal goes into effect, Hulu Plus subscribers will be able to watch new episodes the day after they air, while those who don't subscribe can see them eight days later. At launch, CW will bring the following shows to Hulu:

• Ringer
• Hart of Dixie
• The Secret Circle
• The Vampire Diaries
• Gossip Girl
• Supernatural
• Nikita
• 90210
• America's Next Top Model

“For the past 4 years, we have been hard at work building a differentiated and high-value service for our three customers (users, content owners and advertisers),” Forssell concluded. “We are proud that Hulu is the only online video service to offer such a unique and compelling line-up of content.” Via: TechCrunch Follow me @LouisBedigian