'Free Solo' Headed To Hulu

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

National Geographic's Academy Award-winning documentary series Free Solo is currently streaming on Hulu, the streaming service said Wednesday.

Free Solo, which won the 2019 Academy Award for best documentary feature, follows soloist climber Alex Honnold who climbed El Capitan --the 3,200-foot peak in Yosemite National Park -- without a rope.

 The documentary brought in nearly 1.5 million viewers domestically during its commercial-free broadcast debut on March 3, according to Nielsen Live+3 ratings.

“Free Solo is a true masterpiece that combines awe-inspiring camerawork with the kind of authentic storytelling that Hulu viewers love,” said Lisa Holme, vice president of Content Acquisition at Hulu in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with our friends at National Geographic Documentary Films to add this extraordinary film to the growing slate of award-winning documentaries available on Hulu.”

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.