Netflix, Hulu and the golden age of content

Hulu is launching its first scripted original series in February, and the company is already thinking about investing more in original content. Hulu’s move toward original content follows similar announcements by Netflix, which is going to launch its first original series this spring as well. For both companies, going into original content is in part a reaction to the threat of being locked out of deals for popular TV shows. But it’s also part of a larger movement toward a new Hollywood, where content is produced for online-only properties, money is raised differently and networks aren’t the only game in town anymore. It’s a new golden age of content, and these are its key players: Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Kickstarter, Amazon Studios, and BitTorrent.