• by Wayne Friedman , March 10, 2017

The battle for services selling digital live, linear TV networks continues to amp up -- now with Hulu signing A+E Networks.

For its upcoming new live, linear TV service, Hulu already has deals with 21st Century Fox, CBS Corp., The Walt Disney Company, and Time Warner’s Turner --  with broadcast networks ABC, Fox, and CBS starting at launch.

But no NBCUniversal deal yet -- although NBCU is an equity partner in Hulu. Reports suggest negotiations are ongoing. Fox, Disney and Time Warner are also equity partners.

The deal with Hulu includes six A+E Networks: A&E, History, Lifetime, LMN, FYI, and Viceland. A+E Networks is co-owned by Disney and Hearst. Terms were not disclosed.

Hulu wants to start selling a basic package of about 40 broadcast and cable networks this spring for “under $40,” says Mike Hopkins, CEO of Hulu.

Other Hulu cable networks that are part of the package will include Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 and BTN; ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN-SEC and ESPN 3; Fox Regional Sports Networks; Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior; Fox News and Fox Business; Freeform; FX, FXX and FXM; and National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.

Turner networks include TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, truTV, Boomerang and Turner Classic Movies.

Recently, YouTube TV signed up around 40 TV networks for its service. All its deals have a broadcast TV base of channels -- ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. No cable-only network groups are part of the package so far, such as Turner, and Discovery Communications.

Many of YouTube’s deals with those broadcast networks also include their big sister cable TV networks: ESPN, FX, USA, E!, Bravo, as well as CNBC, Fox News, and MSNBC. A beginning package looks to be priced at $35.

Reports say that YouTube TV, as part of their deals, is not be getting any ad time to sell in those networks.