Hulu has acquired the exclusive digital rights to stream the first eight seasons of Fox's Hell's Kitchen, said Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury on Tuesday (July 19). The online TV service also will stream current episodes from season nine and a rotating selection of library episodes.
"We are excited to expand the presence of Hell's Kitchen's with a premium video service like Hulu," said Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein in a statement. "Digital networks are an important and complementary part of the overall distribution mix for a top-tier series like this; increased programming demand from digital video services benefits not only producers and distributors, but viewers who gain access to quality shows on screens of all sizes."
Hell's Kitchen is produced by ITV Studios America and stars celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The show will be available exclusively on the Hulu Plus subscription service starting today. Debmar-Mercury remains free to sell the show to cable networks or broadcast stations.
Hulu's acquisition of Hell's Kitchen is the latest in a series of digital distribution deals for Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury. Earlier this year, Lionsgate licensed seven seasons of AMC's Emmy-winning Mad Men to stream on Netflix. Epix, a multiplatform joint venture between Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate, last year also entered into a multiyear agreement with Netflix to stream an array of new theatrical releases and library titles.
