"Empire" is on top of the television world and even though season one is over, it is about to take over the streaming world.
On Wednesday night, Hulu agreed with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution on terms for exclusive streaming rights of the hit show, according to USA Today. "Empire" will be available to stream on Hulu the day after it airs on television, so as of Thursday the whole first season is up on Hulu Plus.
"'Empire' is truly a television phenomenon," Craig Erwich, Hulu's senior vice president and head of content, said in a statement. "'Empire's' story lines and music continue to dominate the popular culture conversation each week. Since its premiere, the series has remained one of the top shows on Hulu and we are ecstatic to be the exclusive streaming home to the biggest show of the year."
Episodes will be available on both Hulu and Hulu Plus once they air, but past episodes will only be there for Plus members when the show is in between seasons. It is a common practice for the service to offer that exclusivity to the Plus members and give episodes expiration dates on the basic Hulu plan.
The decision came down to the current culture of binge-watching shows rather than tuning in as they air live on television, even though "Empire" has no issues with ratings.
"As interest in the show continues to explode, having a place for people to watch it from the beginning is extremely important," said Gina Brogi, executive vice president of worldwide pay television and SVOD for 20th Century Fox Television Distribution.
