United States streaming behemoth Hulu is reportedly downsizing its research and development (R&D) centre in Beijing, laying off around 200 people, approximately 90% of the staff at the facility.
Funnily enough, Hulu’s streaming service is not available to consumers in China, the company set up the Beijing location in 2007, one year before the platform began to stream the United States market.
The employees at the Beijing facility focused on developing online video playback software, in addition to advertising and content recommendation algorithms. Before the reported downsizing, first announced by 21st Century Business Herald, a daily Chinese newspaper, the location was the second-largest R&D facility after the United States headquarters.
This news comes as tech firms across the United States, from Meta Platforms to Microsoft to Electronic Arts to Amazon, have been reducing their workforces. This concerning turn of events is causing unrest amongst employed Americans, and downsizing is projected to continue well into 2023.
