Hulu today rolled out its Watch Party feature that allows up to eight people (or, more accurately, eight accounts) to watch shows and movies together, without actually being in the same room.
Is it anywhere near the same as getting together to watch, say, Happiest Season on Hulu? It is not. But at this point of 2020, we'll take what we can get. (Also other streaming services have Watch Party services, so it makes sense that Hulu should have it, too.
The way it works is this: the first viewer will grab a link from the Details page of a show or movie, and then share that link with up to seven other people. Hulu says you have to be 18 years old to access that feature. (It does not say how it'll check.)
While you're all watching and partying together, you'll be able to react in real time through the chat function. Playback is separate, though, so if someone takes a bathroom break the whole thing might fall apart. Other fun fine print includes you promising that you won't use Watch Party for commercial purposes, that you won't post anything profane or use disrespectful language while chatting with your friends. Hulu also says you're not allowed to post anything profane, threatening or disrespectful about Hulu, its content, or other viewers. So if you hate the movie, better keep that to yourself.
Hulu's Watch Party works with both Hulu on-demand flavors — those with advertising, and those who pay extra to get rid of the ads.
The latter costs $5.99 a month and has thousands of shows and movies, including exclusives like The Handmaid's Tale and the new A Teacher. It's also where you'll find things like FX on Hulu, which is the new exclusive home for all FX content. Watch Party only works on the web for now, but Hulu itself is available on most every major streaming platform.
