Well, you knew the free ride had to end some day. The video streaming ride, that is. And it looks like that day is here.

At an industry summit in New York City last week,  News Corp Deputy Chair Chase Carey announced that the online video hub Hulu will soon begin charging users for content.

Target date: 2010.

Carey hinted that a subscription system is the most likely route. He also said that the site will likely feature some free content as well — much the way iTunes does, although Apple charges users per show download.

“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content,” Carey said. “I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value.”

In other words, we can’t make enough money giving TV shows away and nobody appreciates stuff they don’t pay for. In the future, if you want a TV show, you’re going to have to either pay for it or watch some lousy commercial spot.

Your choice. But the free lunch buffet looks like it’s shutting down.

Now if the newspaper folks could just figure out how to get readers to pay for news …