Hulu just offered a major proof point that voice could well be the next big thing in TV viewing.
The streaming service struck a partnership with Amazon this fall to make Hulu available on the Echo Show, a tablet that’s powered Alexa. That allows viewers to use simple voice commands to tune in their favorite shows.
Hulu found that voice dramatically increased the amount of time people spent watching shows.
“People who use Alexa are watching 50% more television,” said Hulu CMO Kelly Campbell in an interview Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “You don’t have to get your phone out or pull out a remote.”
Hulu found the same behavior happened when it launched a voice enabled app on Fire TV in November 2017. Hulu viewers who use Alexa watched double the hours of content compared to viewers who use remotes, clicks and taps to tune into the content they love.
Alexa users’ most-used voice request is “Alexa, play…” a certain TV show, movie or channel.
Voice has been a major theme of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, as major manufacturers including Samsung, LG and Chinese giant Hisense, all announced plans to make new models of smart TVs compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
“I think there’s a lot more to unlock in the voice category,” said Hulu’s Kelly. “We all need to be trying new things and sharing what we learned.”
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