Hulu Users Did Not Approve of Astroworld Special

Service has yanked locally produced 'Astroworld: Concert From Hell' after backlash
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 3, 2021 8:20 AM CST
Hulu Takes Heat for Astroworld Special: 'Poor Taste All Around'
The crowd watches as Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld fest at NRG Park on Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.   (Jamaal Ellis/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

Hulu has yanked a news special it released this week that recapped the events of the Travis Scott concert in Houston last month that injured hundreds and left 10 people dead, including a 9-year-old boy. Per the Los Angeles Times, the 50-minute Astroworld: Concert From Hell was pulled from Hulu's lineup after becoming available on Wednesday, though the paper notes the special was originally a program that was produced and aired on Nov. 20 by local news station KTRK, owned by ABC. After Hulu debuted the special—which has since apparently been renamed Astroworld Aftermath—backlash ensued among upset viewers who thought it was a Hulu documentary.

"Before the night was over, the concert turned into a tragedy no one will ever forget," a promo for the special reads on KTRK's site. "Astroworld Aftermath takes you inside the festival. What really happened—from chaos at the gates hours before the music started, to what went wrong in the crowd as the night went on, and the 10 victims who never made it home." None of this went over well with Hulu consumers. "Hulu making a documentary about Astroworld is in poor taste all around," one commenter posted on Twitter. "People are still burying their loved ones. ... Great documentaries are done when all the facts are laid out."

Hulu, which streams ABC programs (both are owned by Disney), is now trying to distance itself somewhat from the program. "This was an investigative local news special from ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston that originally aired on November 20th," a Hulu spokesperson tells Variety. "This was not a Hulu documentary and has since been removed to avoid confusion." The exact cause of the deaths, which happened after a crowd surge at the concert, is still being investigated. (More Hulu stories.)

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