NBC takes to the airwaves to poke fun at the web’s largest video site.
Hulu has built success on being the go-to place for broadcast shows you may have missed or forgotten to DVR. It’s also a place to check out old tv shows and some movies.
As YouTube explores forays into hosted TV and movies, that’s obviously a threat to Hulu. But since Hulu was started by NBC (and Fox), they have many resources to put dents in YouTube’s pristine reputation.
One of the best chinks Hulu can place in YouTube’s armor is the problem of actually watching a video on YouTube. Buffering is a real issue. So, what better place than Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update to poke fun at YouTube’s great weakness.
And, of course, the clip is now available on Hulu:
Of course, YouTube has begun providing some videos with HTML5, which should improve video play. But that won’t help the other issue addressed in the SNL sketch – the annoyance of people sharing hilarious videos with you – that you just don’t find as funny. That, I’m afraid is a more permanent problem.