Studios solidify their hold on Hulu.

The withdrawal of one of Hulu's stakeholders is bound to prompt a fresh round of speculation over its perpetually complicated future.

Providence Equity Partners has a handshake deal to sell its 10% stake in the streaming service to the other three owners, News Corp., Comcast and Disney, according to sources. News of the sale was first reported by Bloomberg.

Providence's stake could be worth $200 million, sources say, which would peg Hulu's total value at $2 billion. Selling for $200 million would represent a doubling of Providence's initial investment.

A private-equity group's quick exit after pocketing a tidy profit is typically just ordinary news, but …