Apple cider vinegar Is Pilates for you? 'Ambient gaslighting' 'Main character energy'
LIFE
Jerry Seinfeld

Hulu touts 'Seinfeld' deal, new originals

Daniel Hurwitz
Special for USA TODAY
Jerry Seinfeld at the 2015 Hulu Upfront Presentation at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

NEW YORK — Jerry Seinfeld, J.J. Abrams and James Franco are helping put Hulu on the map in a big way.

The streaming platform sent a strong message to competitors Amazon Studios and Netflix by touting an aggressive slate of originals and exclusive licensing deals at a presentation to advertisers Wednesday.

Hulu saved its biggest star and news for last: Seinfeld appeared to chat about Hulu's exclusive deal to stream all nine seasons of his classic NBC sitcom, Seinfeld.

"That people will only watch television like this in the future is so obvious," Seinfeld said about streaming video.

"It's not just a television show," said Craig Erwich, the senior vice president of content at Hulu. "We have a piece of television history."

Hulu also announced a multi-year deal with AMC Networks Inc. for the exclusive subscription on-demand rights to new and upcoming prime-time scripted comedy and drama series produced by the company and that air, or will air, on AMC, IFC, BBC America, Sundance TV and WE tv. Netflix still has the rights to current AMC shows Mad Men and Better Call Saul (owned by Lionsgate and Sony, respectively), but Hulu will get

The deal with AMC highlights Hulu's strategy to acquire exclusive streaming rights to existing TV content. In the last few months, Hulu has announced similar pacts with Turner Broadcasting, FX Networks and Fox's Empire.

The streaming platform also boasted an ambitious slate of original content. Abrams and Franco took the stage to tease their upcoming event series 11/22/63, based on the Stephen King novel about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Franco plays a high school teacher who travels back in time in an attempt to stop the assassination. The series will premiere in 2016.

Amy Poehler, Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner were on hand to promote their upcoming comedy series, Difficult People. Eichner described the show as "Will and Grace, if both characters were extremely unlikable." The series will premiere this summer.

Eichner, in his typical loud and aggressive style, expressed his faux frustration with Hulu's acquisition of Seinfeld.

"They spent $130 million on Seinfeld but once on set they wouldn't let me get an everything bagel!" he joked. (Hulu did not disclose the terms of the Seinfeld deal, but The Wall Street Journal reported it will pay $700,000 apiece for 180 episodes.)

Director Jason Reitman and Zander Lehmann promoted their upcoming dramedy series Casual, and Friday Night Lights producer Jason Katims appeared with writer Jessica Goldberg to introduce The Way, a 10-episode family drama. YouTube star Freddie Wong also promoted his eight-episode comedy series RocketJump: The Show. All three originals will premiere later in 2015.

Hulu's presentation took place during the annual parade of Internet company pitches for advertising dollars; cable networks are making similar presentations. The broadcast networks get their turn in mid-May.

Featured Weekly Ad