Isabella Carter
Hulu has been under scrutiny for its policies regarding political advertisements. Initially, the company refused to run ads on controversial topics such as climate change, abortion, and gun control, leading to backlash and accusations of censorship. However, following criticism, Hulu changed its policy to allow political ads, stating that it would treat Hulu with the same broadcast standards as its sister networks, ABC and ESPN. While Hulu has not been reported to have donated directly to political campaigns, its parent company, The Walt Disney Co., has come under fire for its handling of political advertising. With the 2024 election approaching, streaming platforms like Hulu are attracting a significant share of political advertising dollars, with campaigns flooding the platform to reach voters.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hulu's donation to political campaigns | Hulu LLC has not donated to any political campaigns. The money came from the organization's individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate family members. |
| Affiliated companies | Comcast, which owns CNBC parent NBCUniversal, is a co-owner of Hulu. The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of Hulu. |
| Political ads | Hulu has been under fire for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion, and gun control. However, after facing backlash, Hulu changed its policy to allow political issue advertising. |
| Recent political ad blitz | In 2024, the Kamala Harris campaign reserved $200 million worth of ad space on streaming platforms, including Hulu, ahead of the election. |
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What You'll Learn
- Hulu has not donated to political campaigns, but individuals associated with the company have
- Hulu has been criticised for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion and gun control
- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called Hulu's refusal to run their ads outrageous censorship
- Hulu has been pressured to accept political ads by Democrats, reversing their previous policy
- Hulu is attracting a large share of political advertising dollars in the 2024 election cycle
Hulu has not donated to political campaigns, but individuals associated with the company have
Hulu LLC has not donated to political campaigns. However, individuals associated with the company have contributed to political committees and candidates. OpenSecrets, an organization that tracks money in U.S. politics, reveals that the donations are from members, employees, owners, and their immediate family members. These contributions are made to various political entities, including federal and state-level politicians and committees.
In 2022, Hulu faced backlash for refusing to run ads related to climate change, abortion, and gun control. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, along with other Democratic groups, attempted to purchase joint ads on these issues, but Hulu did not air them. This led to accusations of "censorship" and "picking the wrong side" by users and political organizations. As a result, Hulu changed its policy to allow political issue advertising, stating that it would align with its parent company Disney's broadcast standards.
In the 2024 election cycle, Hulu is witnessing an influx of political ad spending, with campaigns, including that of Vice President Kamala Harris, reserving significant ad space on the platform. This trend reflects a shift towards streaming services as a preferred medium for political advertising, although traditional broadcast television still commands a larger share of the overall political ad spending.
While Hulu itself has not directly donated to political campaigns, the company's decision to allow political ads and the contributions made by individuals associated with Hulu highlight its role in the political landscape, particularly in reaching young voters and influencing public opinion.
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Hulu has been criticised for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion and gun control
In 2022, Hulu faced criticism for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion, and gun control. The streaming platform, owned by Disney, rejected political ads from Democratic organisations focused on these issues. This decision sparked backlash from subscribers and Democratic campaign groups, who accused Hulu of censorship and taking a political stance.
On July 15, 2022, three major Democratic campaign committees attempted to purchase joint ads on abortion and gun control on Hulu. These committees were the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association. The same ads were successfully placed on other platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and Roku, as well as on Disney-affiliated channels such as ABC and ESPN. However, Hulu rejected the ads, citing an "unwritten policy" on sensitive topics.
Suraj Patel, a Democratic congressional candidate in New York, also experienced ad rejection from Hulu. Patel's ad touched on abortion, guns, climate change, and the January 6 insurrection. While an altered version of the ad that removed footage of the January 6 riot was initially accepted by Hulu, the company later accepted the original ad after facing public scrutiny.
The controversy surrounding Hulu's ad policy sparked debates on social media, with some users threatening to boycott the platform and others expressing relief that politics were kept separate from their streaming experience. Democratic groups argued that Hulu's actions amounted to "censorship" and that the company was preventing voters, especially young voters, from learning about critical issues and the "truth" about Republican agendas.
Hulu's decision to reject these political ads highlights the challenges faced by media platforms in navigating sensitive topics and the potential impact on public discourse during election seasons.
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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called Hulu's refusal to run their ads outrageous censorship
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has criticised Hulu for refusing to run their ads, calling the decision "outrageous censorship". The DSCC, along with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), attempted to purchase joint ads on abortion and gun control in July 2022. However, Hulu, a Disney-owned company, refused to air the ads, citing their content as too "sensitive" and "controversial".
In a statement, the executive directors of the three committees, Christie Roberts, Tim Persico, and Noam Lee, condemned Hulu's decision:
> Hulu’s censorship of the truth is outrageous, offensive, and another step down a dangerous path for our country. Voters have the right to know the facts about MAGA Republicans’ agenda on issues like abortion — and Hulu is doing a huge disservice to the American people by blocking voters from learning the truth about the GOP record or denying these issues from even being discussed.
The controversy sparked strong reactions on Twitter, with some users threatening to boycott Hulu and others expressing relief that the platform was avoiding political content. The incident also drew attention to Disney's approach to controversial political issues, particularly its response to the "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida.
Hulu's advertising guidelines state that the platform "reserves the right to review, approve, reject, and refuse to display, or remove any and all advertising on a case-by-case basis." While Hulu is not bound by the same restrictions as television stations regarding censorship, its decision to reject political ads has been criticised as a form of censorship and an obstruction to voters' access to information.
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Hulu has been pressured to accept political ads by Democrats, reversing their previous policy
In 2022, Disney-owned Hulu was pressured to accept political ads by Democrats, reversing its previous policy. The controversy began when Hulu rejected an election ad from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association that promoted the liberal agenda on gun control, abortion, and climate change. The ad was intended to be aired on Hulu, as well as on a Disney-affiliated ABC affiliate in Philadelphia and the company's cable sports channel, ESPN.
In response to the rejected ad, the Democratic groups accused Hulu of "censorship" and claimed that the company was blocking voters from learning the truth about the GOP record. The executive directors of the three committees, Christie Roberts, Tim Persico, and Noam Lee, issued a joint statement, calling Hulu's actions “outrageous, offensive, and another step down a dangerous path for our country." They asserted that voters had the right to know the facts about MAGA Republicans' agenda on issues like abortion and that Hulu was doing a “huge disservice to the American people” by blocking such information.
Hulu initially defended its decision by citing its advertisement policies, which stated that the company did not accept "issue, electoral, or political Ads through the Ad Manager Tool." However, facing mounting pressure and calls for a boycott, Hulu ultimately reversed its policy. In a statement, Disney announced that Hulu would now accept candidate and issue advertisements across a wide spectrum of policy positions while reserving the right to request edits to adhere to industry standards.
This change in policy brought Hulu's standards in line with other Disney-owned platforms, including its cable networks and ESPN+. The decision marked the second time Disney had faced criticism for its handling of political ads, previously drawing fire for its initial silence on the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida. While some Hulu supporters expressed relief, others threatened to cancel their subscriptions, highlighting the polarizing nature of political advertising in the media landscape.
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Hulu is attracting a large share of political advertising dollars in the 2024 election cycle
In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Hulu is attracting a large share of political advertising dollars. The platform is one of many streaming services that are capturing an increasing share of political advertising spend. This shift in advertising spend is creating new challenges for brand advertisers, as the media ecosystem is being flooded with political spend.
According to data provided to CNBC by political ad analytics firm AdImpact, connected TV (CTV) platforms, including Hulu, are seeing more ad spending than internet platforms such as Facebook and Google. This marks a significant change from the 2020 election cycle, when political ads on Facebook and Google hit $480 million from January 1 through August 10.
The Kamala Harris campaign has reserved $200 million worth of ad space across connected TV and streaming platforms, including Hulu. This is part of the campaign's strategy to reach U.S. voters, particularly in swing states, as the head of political for ad company LoopMe, Robin Porter, noted that 60% to 70% of ad spending typically comes after Labor Day.
Hulu's large share of political advertising dollars is notable, especially considering the platform has faced criticism for its ad policies. In July 2022, Hulu came under fire for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion, and gun control. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and other Democratic committees attempted to purchase joint ads on these issues, but Hulu did not run them. As a result, Hulu faced backlash on Twitter, with some users threatening to boycott or cancel their subscriptions.
Despite this controversy, Hulu's popularity among political advertisers continues, underscoring the platform's influence in the highly contentious 2024 election cycle.
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Frequently asked questions
Hulu LLC has not donated to any political campaigns. However, the company has received money from the organisation's individual members, employees, owners, and their immediate family members.
Hulu has been involved in politics by allowing political ads on its platform. In 2022, Hulu was criticised for refusing to run ads on climate change, abortion, and gun control. However, they later reversed their policy and started accepting political ads.
Yes, Hulu faced backlash for its initial refusal to run ads on certain political issues. This led to trends like #boycotthulu and #cancelhulu on Twitter. However, there were also supporters who started the #thankyouhulu trend, expressing their preference for apolitical streaming platforms.
In 2024, the Kamala Harris campaign reserved $200 million worth of ad space on streaming platforms, including Hulu, Roku, and Pandora. This marked a significant moment in political ad spending, with more money flowing to streaming services, although traditional broadcast television still captures a larger share.
