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The skinny bundle market just got even more crowded. Hulu, the streaming video on demand service that is best known for competing with the likes of Netflix and Amazon, has waded into the skinny bundle market with a live TV service. Hulu + Live TV offers Hulu subscribers exactly what the name suggests: live streaming TV networks, which puts the company in competition with skinny bundle veterans like Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV is still in beta, but we took an early look at the fledgling service to see how it stacks up against its more established competition. Here’s our Hulu + Live TV review.
What is Hulu with Live TV?
Everything you need to know about Hulu’s Live TV streaming service including prices, channels, and how it stands up to the competition.
Pros
- Large on-demand library
- Local channels available
- Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle is a solid deal
Cons
- Add-ons can get pricey
- Limited DVR space unless you upgrade
- Fast-forwarding through commercials requires DVR upgrade
Hulu with Live TV is one of the most popular live TV streaming services, and for good reason. Hulu with Live TV offers subscribers more than 65 live TV channels, including the local broadcast networks in most areas; access to Hulu’s massive on-demand library of more than 80,000 movies and TV show episodes; a 50-hour cloud DVR; the ability to create up to six user profiles; simultaneous streaming on two screens, with the option to upgrade to unlimited screens; free access to 4K content, and availability on TV Everywhere apps.
All of this comes without a contract, meaning you can cancel the service without penalty at any time. While you’re unlikely to find a Hulu discount, you can check out the service with the Hulu free trial offer.
Hulu with Live TV is known for having the most local broadcast channels and access to the biggest on-demand library of any streaming service. It also creates its own programming, with many Hulu Originals receiving popular and critical acclaim, including the Emmy Award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, Emmy-nominated drama Little Fires Everywhere, and critically acclaimed comedy Pen15.
How Much Does Hulu Plus Live TV cost?
Hulu offers two plans for live TV:
Hulu with Live TV — $65 per month, 7-day free trial.
With this plan, you can stream more than 65 channels, including the local broadcast channels in most markets, along with sports, news and entertainment shows. It comes with a cloud DVR with 50 hours of storage, and you can watch shows on two screens at the same time. You also get unlimited access to more than 80,000 movies and TV episodes, including many popular Hulu Originals. However, this plan is supported by ads, so you will see commercials in the on-demand shows and movies. You’ll also get the commercials shown in the live TV broadcasts.
Hulu (No Ads) with Live TV — $71 per month, 7-day free trial.
This plan features everything in the basic Hulu with Live TV plan. But this plan gives you a break from the ads when it comes to on-demand entertainment, because most shows and movies in the streaming library won’t include commercials. However, you’ll still see the commercials that air on the live channels.
Hulu with Live TV Compared to Other Live TV Streaming Services
We’ve done comparisons before on Hulu and its competition like FuboTV, Sling TV, and even Youtube. See the chart below for a quick look at how Hulu with Live TV compares to some of the other streaming services and our full list of the best live TV streaming services.
With the exception of Philo, Hulu with Live TV has the lowest monthly price. But unlike Philo, Hulu TV includes all the major local broadcast networks in most markets.
Hulu with Live TV Channels and Add-Ons
In addition to the local broadcast channels depending on your area, channels you’ll find with your Hulu with Live TV subscription are:
- A&E
- ABC News
- ACC Network
- Adult Swim
- AMC
- Animal Planet
- Awesomeness TV
- BBC America
- BET
While YouTube TV offers many of these channels, it lacks some of the channels that are available on Hulu with Live TV , such as A&E, Bloomberg Television, CBS Sports Network, History Channel, Lifetime, Vice, and others. Philo and fuboTV do not include many of the channels Hulu with Live TV offers.
See the full Hulu Channels List and Add Ons here.
You can also add many of the major premium channels to your subscription. Among these are:
Beyond the premium channels, Hulu with Live TV offers additional add-on programming:
Disney Bundle: $14 per month
The Disney Bundle includes the basic, ad-supported Hulu plan, along with Disney+ and ESPN+. This gives you access to Disney shows and movies, along with Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. You’ll also be able to watch thousands of live and archived sporting events, along with ESPN original programming and its on-demand library. This is a fantastic Hulu deal, even if it doesn’t include Hulu live TV.
Disney Bundle, live TV version: $73 per month
This Hulu live TV bundle includes everything in the Disney Bundle above, plus all the benefits of a Hulu with Live TV plan, including 65+ live TV channels.
Entertainment add-on: $8 per month
American Heroes Channel, CNBC World, Cooking Channel, Crime + Investigation, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, DIY, FYI, Great American Country, Lifetime Movies, Military History Channel, Science
Español add-on: $5 per month
CNN en Español, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, History Channel en Español, NBC Universo
Hulu + Spotify + Showtime Bundle: $5 per month
This bundle doesn’t include Live TV, but instead offers Spotify premium and access to the Showtime catalog on Hulu
Sprint Hulu Mobile Bundle: as low as $60 a year
This bundle doesn’t include Live TV, as only ad-supported Hulu packages are offered with this Bundle. However for a low price you can get a premium streaming service and a great phone plan.
Hulu with Live TV Top Channels Compared
In addition to most of the standard “cable” channels, in most markets, Hulu with Live TV offers the major local broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the CW. The only local network not included is PBS. The chart below shows how Hulu with Live TV compares to other streaming services.
Hulu with Live TV features
Hulu with Live TV offers a variety of features so you can customize your experience.
DVR: Hulu with Live TV comes with a 50-hour cloud DVR so you can record your favorite shows. If you need more storage, you can upgrade to 200 hours for an additional $10 a month. In addition to being able to record more shows and sporting events, with the Enhanced Cloud DVR, you can also skip over the commercials in your recordings, a feature that’s not available with the basic storage package.
Simultaneous streams: With your Hulu with Live TV subscription, you can stream shows on two devices at the same time. This is another feature you can upgrade. For an additional $10 a month, you can stream on an unlimited number of devices when you’re home and on up to three devices when you’re on the go. This can be great for a large family where the kids want to watch different shows than their parents at the same time.
You can bundle the Enhanced Cloud DVR with the simultaneous stream upgrade for $15 a month, saving you $5 a month on the individual upgrades.
Sports: Hulu with Live TV is a great service for sports fans. Games from MLB, the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA, English Premier League, and more are available. Among the sports channels included in the package are the ACC Network, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, ESPN College Extra, FS1, FS2, Golf, NBC Sports Network, Olympic Channel, and TNT. Among the major sporting events you can watch on Hulu with Live TV are the MLB World Series, NFL Super Bowl, golf’s U.S. Open, the NASCAR Cup Series, the Wimbledon Championships for tennis, cycling’s Tour de France, and more.
Hulu with Live TV supported devices
From your computer to mobile and streaming devices, you can watch Hulu with Live TV from most devices. This includes:
- Mac computers
- PC computers
- Apple iPhones and iPads
- Android phones and tablets
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick
- Android TV (select models)
- Apple TV (fourth generation)
- Chromecast
- Roku (select models)
- LG (select TV models)
- Samsung (select TV models)
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One and Xbox 360
Is Hulu with Live TV worth it?
We most definitely think so. Hulu with Live TV is one of the best alternatives to cable or satellite, and, at a starting price of $65 per month, it comes at a much more reasonable price. With access to more than 65 channels, Hulu Originals, and Hulu’s massive on-demand library, you get the best of entertainment, sports, documentaries and news programming all in one place. With Hulu’s add-on and upgrade options, you can customize the service to meet your needs. The seven-day free trial gives you a great way to try it out and see if Hulu with Live TV is the right streaming service for you.
