According to Variety, Hulu has closed a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution for Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) rights to Homeland, the Emmy-winning Showtime thriller.
Showtime subscribers will still be able to watch Homeland on the premium its premium streaming services. Customers of Hulu now have access Showtime’s full lineup for an addition $9 per month. This deal for Hulu comes a year after Fox raised questions whether Showtime is able to provide the series on the premium net’s streaming service. The concern was that Showtime’s Over-The-Top content (OTT) offering would devalue SVOD rights of Homeland.
Like HBO and Starz, Showtime has viewed original series like Homeland as necessary to gaining and retaining subscribers. And the network has not been willing to let shows that are currently airing go to SVOD distributors. However, that position is changing, but only for older programming. Craig Erwich, Hulu’s senior VP and head of content stated “On the heels of another critically acclaimed season and multiple Emmy nominations, Homeland is the perfect addition to Hulu’s growing library of premium exclusive programming.”
Last year the streaming service made a similar multi-year deal with Twentieth Century Fox TV for Empire. Homeland has received multiple Primetime Emmy Awards since the show debuted in 2011. The series recently picked up its fourth nomination. “Both incredibly gripping and addictive, Homeland is television at its very best. This series is ripe for the bingeing and we’re excited for Hulu’s fan base to experience the adrenaline rush that Homeland offers season after season,” commented Gina Brogi, exec VP worldwide pay TV and SVOD for Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution.
The series is based on the original Israeli series Prisoners of War by Gideon Raff, which streams in the U.S. exclusively on Hulu. Production for the sixth season of Homeland begins later this summer in New York City. Hulu subscribers can now watch seasons 1-4 of Homeland.