• Reuters, Wednesday, June 9, 2010 10:52 PM

Free video Web site Hulu plans to soon begin charging customers and is looking to expand its content to consumer devices like the Xbox and iPad, according to two sources, as the site's media owners experiment with platforms beyond an ad-supported TV model. They say Hulu, owned by News Corp, General Electric's NBC Universal and Walt Disney Co, was developing a subscription service to be rolled out on multiple devices in the next month or two, reports Reuters.

Hulu, which generated an estimated $100 million in advertising revenue last year, will continue to offer newer episodes of shows like Fox's "Glee" free of charge, but it will also charge viewers a monthly fee to see older episodes and other content.

Access to the Xbox 360 and iPad version of the service will likely require a subscription, notes MediaBeat. The company has been quick to block methods of viewing its content on televisions via Boxee and Sony's Playstation 3 web browser - most likely due to pressure from its corporate overlords NBC Universal, ABC, and Fox. While it would be nice for Hulu to bring its free ad-supported content to other devices, the company's past actions have made it clear that if users want its content on their TVs, they will likely have to pay

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