Facebook Getting Hulu Integration, Meet Facehulu. (Didn’t Make That Up.)
Facebook is endeavoring to integrate everything ever into it. The latest application to be swallowed whole and reappropriated within the confines of the Social Network Juggernaut is Hulu. Now you can watch all those episodes of Glee with fellow Gleeks without having to navigate out of your Gleeky chat.
Hulu does TV shows better than just about everyone. In fact, other than YouTube, Hulu attracts the highest level of engagement of any web video platform (with the average web viewer watching an average of 3.2 hours a month). That being said, Hulu has never done social particularly well. Sure, users interact on Hulu discussion boards, tweet clips to friends, and share shows on Facebook, but the platform has long been in need of a better way to find and share TV shows and movies.
So, today at F8, Hulu announced the launch of a brand new Facebook app, which endeavors to make the Hulu experience social. How exactly? For Hulu users this means getting to watch the video platform’s content directly within Facebook. Now you no longer have to leave Facebook to watch Hulu. And judging by all the news out of F8 today, soon you’ll never have to leave Facebook, period.
The videos you watch on Hulu are automatically shared with friends (approval is needed, thankfully). What’s more, according to Hulu’s blog entry today, the Facehulu app will give you a comprehensive glimpse into what your friends are watching, in realtime, and allow viewers to spark conversations with each other about what shows they’re watching and how bad the new season of House is.
The coolest part? As you’re watching Hulu content, be it a full show, clip, or film, you can leave comments on particular moments within the video. Oh yes. SoundCloud-style. And, naturally, once you leave a comment on a particular moment, you can then blast it out to friends to let them know how clever you are – on both Hulu and Facebook.
Welcome to the Future (Present).