Hulu has planted its flag in Dillon, Texas, grabbing streaming rights to all five seasons of the beloved NBC/DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights.
The series’ 76 episodes went live on Hulu Friday morning. FNL episodes also became available for streaming earlier this month on Amazon Prime Video under a deal with NBCUniversal.
Although the pact is not exclusive, Hulu has sought to bulk up its roster of shows with rabid fan followings as well as shows with vast libraries. The arrival of NBC’s long-running “ER” on Hulu earlier this year has prompted a big response from TV critics and fans alike rediscovering the medical sudser.
Friday Night Lights, created by Pete Berg and steered by showrunner Jason Katims, ran from 2006 to 2011. The Universal TV drama was a critical smash but was underwhelming from a ratings standpoint. DirecTV came in as a partner with NBC starting in season three, which allowed NBC to keep the show on the air.
Friday Night Lights revolved around the life of a high school football coach, Eric Taylor, and his family in a small Texas town. Kyle Chandler won an Emmy in 2011 for his much-lauded work as Taylor. Connie Britton co-starred as his wife, high school guidance counselor-turned-principal Tami Taylor. The show was a major springboard for a number of prominent thespians in the FNL ensemble, notably Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemons, Adrianne Palicki, Minka Kelly, Zach Gilford.
