Hulu President Joe Earley Says Streamer Benefits From ‘Complementary’ Relationship With Disney+

variety.com:

Sasha Urban editorJoe Earley, the president of Hulu, never misses an opportunity to flex his marketing skills. While discussing the ongoing trend of subscribers leaving streaming platforms (also known as churn), Earley said he’s noticed one exception to the rule in bundles that Hulu offers alongside access to Disney+ and ESPN+.“The churn is so low on the bundle, so we want as many people to subscribe to it as possible, because they’re happy, they stay longer,” Earley said, before adding that “it is still an unbelievable price of $13.99,” to laughs from the audience.Earley discussed Hulu’s strategy (and perhaps solicited some new subscribers) in conversation with Cynthia Littleton, co-editor in chief of Variety, at the Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit presented by Deloitte.

As a veteran of the industry with more than two decades of experience, Earley spoke about the many skills necessary for success in the streaming wars.

From on-set production jobs to being a publicist for “The Simpsons” at Fox Entertainment, Earley said all of his experiences converge at Hulu, which is still a relatively young platform.A key difference between the old and new guard of television, Earley said, is subscription models.

While a cable subscription has been historically difficult to cancel, streaming subscriptions can be purchased and canceled impulsively.“We’re going to enter a new age of serial churning or certainly increased churn,” Earley said. “How do you get them back or keep them in?