NBCUniversal has appointed three of its top executives to the Hulu board, following the lifting of 2011 Justice Department restrictions at the end of August.
Joining the board of the jointly owned streaming platform include Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell, advertising and client partnerships chair Linda Yaccarino and content distribution chairman Matt Bond. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
NBCUniversal owns 30% of Hulu, along with Disney-ABC (30%), 21st Century Fox (30%) and WarnerMedia (10%). Disney’s proposed $71 billion takeover of Fox’s entertainment assets would make it the controlling owner.
Related: Hulu's Losses More Than Doubled in Q2 to $357M
As a condition tied to Comcast’s 2011 purchase of NBCU, Comcast was required to take a silent ownership position.
But it now re-assumes a voice on the board of directors, that also includes Disney direct-to-consumer and international chairman Kevin Mayer and Fox Networks Group chairman Peter Rice.
And Hulu is at an interesting point of inflection, having reached 20 million subscribers, launched a global original-series hit in The Handmaid’s Tale, and garnered critical acclaim with 27 Emmy nominations over the summer.
Hulu is spending aggressively as it expands its original slate, upgrades its technology and competes in the competitive live-streaming market. And Comcast would certainly like a say in where the money is going.
Comcast revealed in a June regulatory filing that it lost $107 million in Hulu in the second quarter.
