Hulu video podcast deal and the new rights game

If you're still treating your podcast video like "the thing we upload to YouTube after," I've got bad news: the streamers are starting to treat it like programming.

And when streamers show up, they don't show up for vibes. They show up for rights, windows, and leverage. Yours... or theirs.

What happened

Hulu (yes, Disney's Hulu) signed a licensing deal with Headgum for the comedy advice podcast We're Here to Help, hosted by Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds. New episodes start hitting Hulu on February 10, 2026.

Release cadence is twice a week (Sundays and Tuesdays), with a simple twist: Hulu gets the new episode one day early. After that early window, the show still publishes for everyone else - audio platforms plus the show's YouTube channel (which Headgum says is being relaunched). ([podnews.net](https://podnews.net/press-release/hulu-headgum-podcasts))

Hulu also gets streaming rights to the existing catalog, and as of February 7, 2026, Hulu already has a show page up that lists a "From the Vault" drop. ([hulu.com](https://www.hulu.com/series/were-here-to-help-37501bf1-9439-47cc-9c17-9aa208224651))

Headgum is calling this Hulu's first podcast licensing deal, coming right after Hulu/Disney started experimenting with companion video podcasts for their own shows (think "official podcast" pages living right next to the series). ([podnews.net](https://podnews.net/press-release/hulu-headgum-podcasts))

Small detail, big meaning: a 24-hour window is basically "exclusive" without forcing the audience to pick a side. That's a very... 2026 deal structure.

Why creators should care

1) Video podcasting is turning into a rights business. YouTube is still the biggest gravity well - by YouTube's own numbers, people watched 700M+ hours of podcasts on living-room devices in October 2025, and YouTube says it has 1B monthly active podcast viewers. ([blog.youtube](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/podcasts-living-room-in-2025/))

But Netflix, Spotify, TikTok, and now Hulu are all trying to buy their way into "the next binge." Netflix didn't just license shows - it started commissioning originals. In January 2026, Netflix launched its first original video podcasts, and it's also doing exclusive video partnerships with major audio networks. ([theverge.com](https://www.theverge.com/news/861971/netflix-original-podcasts-pete-davidson-michael-irvin?utm_source=openai))

2) Monetization is getting unbundled. Spotify's angle has been "make video pay inside the app." Their Partner Program introduced Premium video-based payouts plus ads, and Spotify reported big early jumps in payouts and consumption after launch. ([newsroom.spotify.com](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2025-02-13/spotifys-partner-program-helps-creators-increase-revenue-and-consumption-of-video-podcasts/?utm_source=openai))

Netflix and Hulu's angle is simpler: "We'll pay for distribution and treat it like a show." That can be great for stability - until you realize stability often comes with fine print (windows, promos, ad rules, brand safety stuff, deliverables).

3) Your workflow is about to get more annoying. One edit used to be enough: publish full episode + clips. Now it's: full episode formatted for each platform, plus thumbnails per platform, plus metadata, plus maybe a streamer deliverable that looks like TV deliverables. That's not "creator problems." That's "small studio problems."

Here's the reframe: you're not "a creator posting content." You're an IP owner managing distribution. Act like it. Even if it's just you and a Dropbox folder.

What to do next

Keep YouTube as your top-of-funnel unless the check is life-changing. Streamers can pay. YouTube can compound. If you do a deal, fight for a short window (like Hulu's one-day head start) instead of hard exclusivity.
Separate "video rights" from "audio rights" in your head - and in your contracts. Notice how these deals often keep audio wide while video gets windowed or locked. That's a clue. Don't casually hand over both.
Build one audience asset nobody can license away. Email list, community, your own site, whatever. Platforms can change terms. Your direct line doesn't.
Turn your episode into a kit, not a file. A repeatable package: full episode, 5-10 clip candidates, 1 trailer cut, captions, titles. When a new platform comes knocking, you're not scrambling - you're shipping.
Ask for promotion like an adult. If a platform wants your show, you want placement. Home page modules, in-app notifications, social posts, featured rows. "We'll see what we can do" is not a plan.