2020 in Review: The Year for Hulu

It’s been a big year for streaming as people spent more time at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, and Hulu has been one of the beneficiaries of this trend. In October, Patrizio Spagnoletto, senior vice president and head of marketing at Hulu, said that the company’s organic demand, signups, retention and engagement all grew “tremendously” in 2020, Business Insider reported.

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“On average, people are watching nine titles a week, and our engagement has gone up 40% year over year,” he said during an Advertising Week conference.

As 2020 comes to a close, take a look back at Hulu’s record-breaking year.

Average Time Spent On Hulu Reaches 320 Minutes Per Household in July

The average time per household per month spent watching Hulu jumped from 225 minutes in January to 320 minutes in July, according to data collected by 7Park. “Palm Springs” was the most popular title streamed on Hulu that month.

Year in Review: People Spent a Lot on These Streaming Services in 2020 — and Here’s What They Watched

Hulu + Live TV Adds 700,000 Subscribers in the Third Quarter

Hulu’s third-quarter numbers revealed that it added 700,000 subscribers to its Hulu + Live TV subscription service between the second quarter and the third, Fierce Video reported. That represented a 41% year-over-year increase. As of the third quarter, Hulu + Live TV subscribers reached 4.1 million.

2020 in Review: The Year in Pandemic Activities

'Run' Becomes Hulu's Most-Watched Feature Ever During Its Opening Weekend

The Sarah Paulson-led thriller “Run” became Hulu’s most-watched feature title ever during its opening weekend, Deadline reported. The film was released on Nov. 20. It also ranked as the most-talked-about Hulu Original Film to date on Twitter. “Run” beat out “Palm Springs,” which previously held the opening-weekend record.

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Hulu's Total Paid Subscribers Reach 36.6 Million in the Fourth Quarter

Hulu’s paid subscribers have steadily increased throughout the year. In the final quarter of 2019, Hulu had 28.5 million paid subscribers, according to data obtained by Statista. That grew to 30.4 million in the first quarter of 2020, 32.1 million in the second quarter, 35.5 million in the third quarter and 36.6 million in the fourth quarter.

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About the Author

Gabrielle Olya

Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on “Good Morning America” as a celebrity news expert. 

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