Hulu and Plex Rolling Out New Features for Streaming Video With Friends - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Hulu and Plex Rolling Out New Features for Streaming Video With Friends

by

Hulu is testing a new "Watch Party" feature that's designed to allow up to eight people to watch TV shows and movies together through the Hulu website and chat with one another while the content is playing.

huluwatchparty
Some Hulu users who sign in on the web will see a popup describing the new Watch Party option, which is available for a select number of TV shows and movies. Watch Party is limited to customers who have the Hulu plan with no ads, and it is only on the web at this time

We're testing something new on hulu.com so you can watch together, even when you're apart. Start a Watch Party by clicking the watch party icon on the details page of your favorite shows and movies. Try it and tell us what you think.

Starting a Watch Party with friends can be done by choosing a TV show or movie that supports the feature and clicking on the Watch Party icon. Hulu then provides a link that can be shared with up to seven people, and when everyone has joined, the host can start the show.

Participants need to be logged into Hulu and watchers need to have the no ads Hulu subscription, priced at $12 per month. As the TV show or movie plays, participants can chat with one another through an included chat box, and each person using the service can control their own playback without impacting the rest of the group.

Watch Party is a Hulu-built feature that works in any browser that supports Hulu streaming, with no plug-ins or extensions required.


Along with Hulu, Plex has also announced a new "Watch Together" beta feature today, which is designed to allow multiple people to watch movies and TV shows through Plex for free. The feature works with all free on-demand content on Plex, as well as content from personal media libraries.

Plex's feature has no communication option, however, and Plex recommends viewers use a separate chat app such as Zoom. Watch Together works on iOS, tvOS, Android devices, and Android TVs. Plex's Watch Together feature is an early release and more functionality will be coming in the future. Unlike Hulu's Watch Party, Watch Together is free to use.

Tags: Hulu, Plex

Popular Stories

iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Product

Thursday July 2, 2026 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's first product release of summer 2026 occurred this week, but do not get too excited, as it is merely the Beats Solo Buds in a new color. Beats Solo Buds are now offered in orange through Best Buy in the U.S., with availability set to expand to 7-Eleven stores in Japan on July 4. Apple already offered orange Solo Buds in India for free with the purchase of an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 ...
Read Full Article
iPhone 4 on Black Feature

Apple Facing One of Its Worst Leaks Since the iPhone 4

Thursday July 2, 2026 9:53 am PDT by
Apple supplier Tata Electronics recently suffered a cyberattack that resulted in thousands of confidential files being published on the dark web, and this reportedly included some photos and documents related to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. We have elected not to share any of the leaked photos in this story due to the illegal nature in which they were obtained, but they can easily be found...
Read Full Article

Top Rated Comments

CarlJ Avatar
CarlJ
80 months ago

Can I pay Hulu more to let me never see A Night At The Roxbury?
I will let you pay me, and in turn, I will let you not watch it.


Maybe this will inspire Netflix to officially offer something similar to Watch Party, the Chrome add-on Netflix Party is pretty bad.
If the other streaming services are have any brains, they’ll be racing right now to add a watch party-style feature, because it’s a terrific way to drive subscriptions. Scenario:

6 friends want to watch a movie/show together during quarantine, and 4 of them have Hulu => strong motivation for the other two to subscribe. Then some other subset of those friends, including the new subscribers, pull in sill more friends. Rinse/repeat.

Kinda like the Messages blue-bubble phenomenon.


I remember back in the day of early Xbox 360 when you could watch movies at the same time as friends. Your avatars would all sit in a movie theatre setting and watch the video.
Just wait for Apple Glasses. You’ll be able to sit on your couch and watch the movie, and look to your left and right and see your friends avatars sitting next to you. Pass the popcorn.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
biggest father1 Avatar
biggest father1
80 months ago
I remember back in the day of early Xbox 360 when you could watch movies at the same time as friends. Your avatars would all sit in a movie theatre setting and watch the video.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments