Realtor.com, Discover and Universal Pictures have signed on as exclusive sponsors of Hulu’s original award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale.
Season 2 of the series has its premiere Wednesday.
Hulu has also sold a sponsorship to an unidentified company in the auto category.
Because many of Hulu’s shows also appear on networks owned by its parent companies—Disney, Comcast, Fox and Time Warner—Hulu doesn’t sell commercials based on the show. Instead it sells ads based on individual viewers' on their age, sex and behavior, regardless of what they’re watching.
Different rules apply for Hulu’s original series. Hulu didn’t offer sponsorship opportunities in season 1 of Handmaid’s Tale. The series was new and its had serious subject matter. Hulu planned to wait to see the level of audience interest in the show develop before pitching sponsorships.
Based on a novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is set in New England after the American government is overthrown and replaced by a totalitarian Christian regime where women are subjugated by men. The protagonist is forced to produce children for the ruling class.
The series was the first streaming show to win an Emmy for outstand series. It also won a Golden Globe award for best TV series.
Elisabeth Moss won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama, Ann Dowd won for best supporting actress and Alexis Bledel won for outstanding guest actress.
