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Hulu offers ad-free streaming to challenge Netflix

Another popular streaming services has upped the ante this week, when it comes to the battle against Netflix.

After Amazon Prime’s decision to enable offline viewing on Monday, on-demand TV hub Hulu has announced it is launching an ad-free version of its service.

In response to popular demand, Hulu says it will allow viewers to ditch commercials for $11.99 a month. That’s $4 more expensive than the existing $7.99 a month offering.

The presence of commercials has long-irked Hulu viewers who’ve expressed frustration at having to sit through ads despite paying for the Hulu Plus monthly service.

This, at least, will give those folks the opportunity to rid themselves of the annoyance, albeit for a small monthly fee.

“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO of Hulu (via Wired).

“Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”

Related: Amazon Prime vs Netflix

The US-only platform is backed by many of the traditional cable industry’s big guns, so citing this as a win for those seeking to distance themselves from cable is a little questionable.

However, for those who’ve been unable to reconcile handing over money for a streaming service and still having to watch about 3 minutes of ads every half an hour, now is your chance to jump on board with Hulu.

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