Internet giant Google is in preliminary talks to buy Hulu, the online television service that's changed the way many of us watch TV. With Hulu, Google would become a premier destination for streaming video and television. And with the new Pac-12 media rights deal, the conference is in a perfect position to capitalize on the marriage between Google and Hulu.
The Los Angeles Times reported Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are in talks with Hulu on Friday. Google is looking to compliment its Youtube service and sees Hulu as the perfect acquisition.
Google, which has had a testy relationship with Hollywood, is making a major push to add professionally produced content to its mix of user-created videos on YouTube. It has hired industry veterans to help the Internet search giant make inroads and strike deals.
The Pac-12 is looking into creating an online-only network, forgoing the traditional route to change the game, if you will. Instead of creating its own broadcast network or buying an existing one to re-brand, Larry Scott laid out a model that would make use of the online capabilities Apple or Google provide to revolutionize how we consume sports. And if Google is able to buy Hulu, it could create a significant windfall for the Pac-12.
With Youtube and Hulu, Google would be the perfect landing spot for the Pac-12, allowing users to both stream games live and watch archived footage, all under the umbrella of established, trusted online media brands. The framework would already be in-place, allowing the Pac-12 to simply plug and play, while opening up its inventory to a broad audience only limited by a user's computer and Internet capabilities.
If you're a Pac-12 fan, root for Google's acquisition of Hulu. It could mean piles of money on top of the windfall Pac-12 schools are already receiving as part of the new media rights deal. And it could change the game, revolutionizing the way we watch live events and integrate multimedia into college sports.