Hulu may offer an ad-free option to subscribers for an increased price, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening.
In what would be a big change in strategy to better compete with rival streaming services, the web content provider could allow Hulu users the option of paying $12 to $14 a month for the ad-free service, doubling the current $7.99 premium subscription.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video both play heavily on the fact that their services are ad-free.
According to the WSJ, the new Hulu project’s code name is “NOAH,” which stands for “No Ads Hulu” and could be available to subscribers as early as fall 2015.
Hulu’s owners, Comcast, 21st Century Fox and Disney, are cognizant of the fact that a new generation of consumers expect to watch content without ads fueled in large part by the soaring popularity of streaming services.
The WSJ report states that sources familiar with the matter said that Hulu’s owners would still support and avoid cannibalizing the ad-supported service. Instead, they would look to make advertising more relevant to the viewer using data.
A Hulu representative did not immediately respond to The Hollywood Reporter‘s request for comment.
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