Hulu launches experimental watch party feature

Hulu has introduced a new feature that allows you to start or join a watch party. The capability is still in a testing phase, though, and available starting today with a few restrictions.

The feature is accessible only on the web, meaning you'll have to visit Hulu's website to watch shows together with your friends simultaneously. Supported browsers are the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Also, you need to subscribe to the service's ad-free plan. While watching movies, you can also hang out with friends in a built-in chat room. Hulu's watch party feature can accommodate up to eight people in a single session, except users aged below 18 years. If you're sharing the same account with someone else, you can join a watch party through your own profile.

Hulu says not all movies and shows support this feature, including Live TV and premium add-on content. That said, you can choose from thousands of on-demand titles available on the platform to watch with family and friends. To start a watch party, you can click the watch party icon on the details page of a supported title and a link will be generated. The host can then send that link to anyone who will be invited to participate in a watch party.

Watch party is a welcome capability especially at a time when people practice social distancing. In Hulu's case, it would be interesting to see the service expand this feature to its official app for mobile devices and smart TVs.