There is further indication that Hulu could be shopping itself out to potential buyers. The L.A.Times is reporting that Google has thrown its hat in the ring as a contender to acquire the streaming video site.
But why would Google have interest in Hulu? Google has owned YouTube since 2006, but the L.A. Times alleges that the company is making a "major push to add professionally produced content to its mix of user-created videos on YouTube."
Yahoo and Microsoft have also been mentioned as potential suitors. Rumor has it that Yahoo approached Hulu with an unsolicited offer, the L.A. Times said last week. Yahoo and Microsoft are also reportedly interested in Hulu because of its original content.
That content is key to Hulu's value as well as a successful sale. Hulu is jointly owned by Comcast, Disney, and News Corp, companies with which it allegedly just renewed streaming agreements, which could indicate that the sale rumors have some truth. News Corp. owns Fox, which broadcasts shows like Glee and Family Guy on Hulu; Disney owns ABC, which provides shows like "Modern Family" and Grey's Anatomy to the site; and Comcast owns NBC Universal which is behind popular Hulu shows like Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. Comcast, however, gave up its management role in Hulu when it acquired NBC Universal, which means it wouldn't get a say in any sale-related decisions.
The rumored refreshed streaming deals would remain intact if Hulu were sold, AllThingsD reported earlier this week. However, these agreements change the nature of what Hulu offers, increasing the amount of time between when a show airs on TV and when it is added to Hulu from 24 hours to eight days, unless a user is able to prove that he or she is a cable subscriber.
Hulu has yet to confirm the rumors, but its owners are rumored to have tapped Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners to handle offers from interested parties. Reps from Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft declined to comment.