Hulu launches ad-free option

US streaming service Hulu has begin offering customers an ad-free option.

The US$11.99 per month price point is US$4 higher than the with-commercial tier.

Hulu claims that those who remain with or choose the cheaper version will watch “fewer commercials than scheduled television”.

The news comes in the same week Amazon Prime Instant Video became the first major SVOD platform to allow customers to download programming to watch offline. In this context, the development provides Hulu with a new weapon to strike back with.

“Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that,” said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins.

“Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”

Earlier this week, Hulu grabbed rights to thousands of movies from premium pay channel Epix, after previous SVOD rights holder Netflix allowed its deal to lapse in favour of investing in original films.