It looks like Hulu could be getting its ducks in a row for that rumored sale. AdAge is reporting that Hulu has reached a "tentative agreement" to renew streaming rights with Walt Disney Co.
Disney, which owns ABC, provides Hulu with popular shows like Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy. Disney is also a part owner of Hulu, along with News Corp. and Comcast. News Corp. owns Fox, which brings shows like Family Guy and Glee to Hulu, and Comcast owns NBC Universal, from which Hulu gets shows such as Community and 30 Rock.
Earlier this week, Variety reported that Hulu had renewed streaming rights with Fox. AdAge notes that both the Fox agreement and the Disney agreement bring more ads to shows on Hulu.
Reports have been circulating this week that Hulu could be gearing up to sell itself. All Things D's Peter Kafka claims Hulu has selected Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners to handle potential offers and has begun to seek out potential buyers, asking them to sign non-disclosure agreements and take a closer look at Hulu's business.
On Wednesday, the LA Times reported that Yahoo approached Hulu with an "unsolicited offer," but reps from Yahoo declined to comment. Hulu has also been tight-lipped on the rumors.
However, renewing streaming rights could be a clue that the sale rumors are actually true. Licensing agreements are vital to Hulu's value. A stall in such negotiations is supposedly the reason a Hulu IPO fell through last year, Variety said. In order to make itself look attractive for a sale, Hulu will likely seek to renew rights with Comcast as well.
Hulu is expected to rake in $500 million this year, and if the rumors are true, it's unclear why it would want to sell. For now it seems viewers will be able to continue watching their favorite ABC programs on the site for a while.