(28 March 2009 9:35 pm)

MUMBAI: Walt Disney Co, News Corp and NBC Universal owned video networking site Hulu.com are in "serious talks" for offering shows of Disney's ABC television network over the site.

As per the media reports, the mouse house is interested in an equity stake in Hulu.com in lieu of licensing ABC and Disney-produced shows for ad-supported Web streaming

Prime time shows like Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Ugly Betty are the top considerations for the deal. Also, the company plans to use content from Disney's cable networks like Disney channel and ESPN.

It may be recalled that three years ago Disney had declared that content of ABC and Disney brands would be good enough to woo online audiences and so it wasn't interested in the Hulu deal during its launch. But, as of today, ABC.com is believed to trail behind Hulu.com.

Hulu attracted 34.7 million viewers in February. But the video platform is still trailing Google's YouTube.com. Thus, a deal between ABC and Hulu may deepen Hulu’s role as the website for premium programming and TV shows.