Hulu Live TV previously offered a 7-day free trial but no longer provides the option for new subscribers to try the service for free. The change took effect following a price increase and the bundling of Disney+ and ESPN+ in late 2021. As a result, those considering signing up to Hulu Live TV no longer have the option of trying the service before having to pay.
Hulu’s live TV service has been around for a few years now and continues to be one of the more popular option for streaming live TV over the internet. This is in spite of the cost of a subscription having slowly increased over that time. The most recent change arrived in December 2021 when the price increased from $64.99 to $69.99 per month. However, this price increase was a little different to previous ones, as it also resulted in subscribers gaining access to Disney+ and ESPN+ as well.
Following the price increase and bundling of the additional services, Hulu Live TV also removed the option of a free trial. Previously, Hulu Live TV allowed subscribers to watch for up to seven days before having to pay. Now when signing up through the Hulu Live TV website, a free trial is no longer offered to new customers. It also doesn’t seem as though Hulu plans to re-add the option of a free trial at a later date.
For reference, the change does not affect the free trials associated with the basic Hulu subscriptions. Instead of the live TV service, consumers have the option of signing up to either the basic Hulu or Hulu (No Ads) subscriptions. Priced at $6.99 and $12.99 per month, respectively, both the ad-supported and ad-free basic Hulu plans still come with a 30-day free trial. It is only the 7-day Hulu Live TV free trial that has been removed.
No option to try Hulu Live TV for free
It is rare for a live TV service to not offer a free trial although it’s not unheard of. Sling TV seems to have an on and off approach to free trials where one is available for a period of time before becoming unavailable again. Likewise, although DirecTV Stream now does offer a free trial, this was somewhat of a recent change with the service previously not offering the option to test the service out for free. While it is possible that Hulu Live TV may offer a free trial again, either permanently or for a limited time, there’s no indications that will happen.
In spite of Hulu Live TV offering better value than before, the cost of a subscription is relatively high at $69.99 per month and the lack of a free trial will make it difficult for consumers to make sure this is the right service before paying. However, the removal of the free trial soon after the bundling of Disney+ and ESPN+ is not a coincidence. While both of these standalone streaming services also previously offered their own free trials, neither of them do now.
With the Hulu Live TV apps and website the only ways to sign up to the live TV plan, consumers don’t really have any option to get around the lack of a free trial. Instead, they will need to pay for the first month when signing up to the service. From time to time, Hulu Live TV does offer deals and promotions which can reduce the cost for a limited time. For now, this is likely to be the best option for those looking to save while testing out the service.
Hulu Live TV free trial summary
Hulu Live TV does not offer a free trial. The live TV streaming service previously allowed new subscribers to watch for free for up to seven days but removed the option soon after adding the Disney+ and ESPN+ subscriptions to the base live TV plan. Neither Disney+ or ESPN+ offer a free trial either.
With no option of a free trial, new customers will need to pay the full $69.99 monthly subscription cost when signing up and before gaining access to any of the live TV channels or on-demand videos. Deals and promotions do occasionally become available where the price is reduced for the first month or few months. Depending on the discount offered, this may result in a similar saving to the previous 7-day Hulu Live TV free trial, although it will still require an upfront payment.
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