Roughly 16 months into its official relationship with YouTube, NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) has pulled the plug in favor of Hulu, its video distribution JV with News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) A NBC spokeswoman confirmed the move, first mentioned by Valleywag and said it was to support Hulu. The JV is still slated for private beta launch this month. The channel-yanking comes after the fall season launch is well underway.

SEE ALSO: NBC-YouTube Hook-up Is Official

NBC launched the YouTube channel in June 2006 after the breakout success of “Lazy Sunday” showed the network the power of viral video, providing a legit flow of video.