1. Andy Forssell
CEO of Hulu

2. Education
 “There are many ways to look at
my bio and think it makes no
sense what I’m doing”
 BS in electrical engineering
(Carnegie Mellon, 1987)
 BS in Russian Studies (United
States Military Academy, 1990)
 MBA at Harvard Business School
(1997)

3. Early Career
 Began in U.S. Army
 Captain in Armored Cavalry
 VP, CRM OnDemand Operations
and Customer Care at Siebel
Systems
 Software company involved in
customer relationship
management applications
 VP, CRM OnDemand Operations
at Oracle Corporation
 American multinational computer
technology corporation

4. Television Industry Before Hulu
 While online streaming was
available via subscription sites like
Netflix, no options were using the
broadcast television model
 Subscription services charged with
no ads
 No legal way of streaming
episodes before a season was
released for free
 In 2007, most broadcasting
companies didn’t offer streaming
on their websites

5. The Idea Behind Hulu
 Website and subscription service
offering ad-supported on-
demand streaming video of TV
shows, movies, webisodes and
other new media, trailers, clips,
and behind-the-scenes footage
from NBC, Fox, ABC, TBS, and
many other networks and studios
 Currently 480 content companies
 Free unless subscribed to Hulu
Plus
 Streams episodes before full
season is released

6. How Hulu Started
 Venture announced in March
2007 with “initial distribution
partners”
 AOL, FaceBook, MSN
 Jason Kilar named CEO in June
2007
 Andy Forssell named Senior Vice
President of Content in June 2007
 The name “Hulu” was chosen in
August 2007 when the website
went live with no content
 Launched with public access in
U.S. in March 2008 after beta
testing

7. How Hulu Started
 Began advertising campaign
during the Super Bowl XLIII in
2009
 “Alec in Huluwood”
http://www.hulu.co
m/adzone/55719

8. How Hulu Started
 By January 2010, Hulu has 903
million video streams
 Second only to YouTube
 Owners
 NBCUniversal Television Group
 Fox Broadcasting Company
 Disney-ABC Television Group
 Business model is same as
broadcast networks
 Offer compelling content
 Build audience
 Sell ads based on audience
volume

9. Hulu Plus
 Monthly subscription service
launched in June 2010
 Still contains commercials
 Full seasons and more episodes
of shows already available on
Hulu
 $8 a month (same as Netflix)

10. Hulu Today
 Andy Forssell takes over Jason
Kilar’s position as CEO
 Has made $700 million in revenue
 Plans of global service
 Only available in U.S. and Japan
 Began as website, now available
as an app for mobile devices
 Hulu Plus gives first-party access
to a variety of Blu-Ray players,
Internet-connected televisions,
game consoles, etc.

11. Andy Forssell’s Legacy
 Integral in helping Hulu grow from
two content partners and no
revenue to over 480 content
partners and $700 mil in revenue
today
 Responsible for multi-year
licensing deal with CBS to bring
their programming to Hulu Plus in
2010
 Led the charge into bringing
original programming to Hulu
 Built the distribution business for
both Hulu and Hulu Plus

12. Andy Forssell’s Legacy
 His work with increasing content
partners and directing distribution
allowed Hulu to grow into the first
and most successful online
streaming website based on the
broadcasting model
 His company proved that major
network television was willing to
offer its services for free with ads
 Forssell’s model for advertising
was innovative
 AdSwap
 Interactive advertising

13. What Now?
 Hulu’s revenue is expected to
drop in the next year
 Rumors of Forssell selling the
company
 Now that major broadcasting
networks allow free streaming on
their own sites, TV in general is
becoming more accessible and
free of charge
 Major factor to Hulu’s decline
 Hulu Plus can’t compete with
Netflix at same price when Hulu
Plus still streams ads

14. But…
 Forsell’s impact on the television
industry was eye-opening
 Audience will withstand
advertising if it means free
streaming
 Television is shifting to worldwide
accessibility at almost no cost
 Today’s generation prefers binge-
watching a series instead of
dealing episodes out per week
 Proved a force to reckon with
against subscription services
 In short, Andy Forssell’s work with
Hulu proved that TV viewers, like
all consumers, prefer maximum
accessibility at minimum cost
 And advertising fell second in
importance to these two factors

15. Bibliography
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"Andy Forssell." LinkedIn. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2013.
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Web. 23 July 2013.
"Hulu's Superbowl Commercial." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Feb. 2009. Web. 23 July
2013.
LaPorte, Nicole. "An Exclusive Look At Andy Forssell's Vision For Hulu | Fast
Company | Business Innovation." Fast Company. N.p., 15 Mar. 2013.
Web. 23 July 2013.
Meyers, Cynthia B. "Changing Industry Views of Audience Toleration of
Commercials: Hulu v. Netflix." Academia. N.p., 2 Mar. 2013. Web. 23
July 2013.
"More about Hulu." Hulu. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2013.
Yueng, Ken. "Departing Hulu CEO Jason Kilar Announces Andy Forssell as Acting
Boss at the Video Giant." The Next Web. N.p., 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 23
July 2013.