Missed this yesterday, but TechCrunch didn't:
Though it may seem to betray a lack of objectivity, Michael Arrington's blanket recanting of all the bad things he's ever said about Hulu, just because they now carry full episodes of the "Daily Show" and the "Colbert Report," is actually understandable. And not because Arrington likes the Stale-y Show.
For as long as anyone can remember (or three years, whichever is longer), the "Daily Show" has been the TV program that people like to watch on the Internet. It's even a major reason for YouTube's climb to cultural prominence.
Though Comedy Central has been streaming the show on its website for some time, the fact that Viacom would license its show to Fox and NBC Universal-owned Hulu is not just a major slap in the face to YouTube, but a giant boon to Hulu. Advertisers may still be finicky about online video, but the conventional wisdom is they don't mind paying for ads in full-length premium content.
Hulu's still just a Lilliputian compared with YouTube, but as it grows its library of full-length TV, it may be be staking out the one corner of the online video market that has real profit potential.
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