Hulu Live TV costs $69.99 per month, but the exact price will depend on the base plan chosen as well as whether any additional premium features are added. Hulu offers more than one live TV streaming plan and knowing the difference between the different packages can help to ensure an individual or household is paying the right price for the right plan. Here’s a closer look at the different Hulu live plans and how much they cost.
Hulu live provides access to a good selection of news, sports and entertainment channels thanks to the base subscription coming loaded with more than 75 live TV channels. In addition, each Hulu live subscriber also gets basic Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for free. These on-demand subscription services typically cost either $6.99 or $7.99 per month each, making the inclusion of all three good value overall, and especially for families or larger households that might already be subscribing to these services anyway.
At $69.99 per month, Hulu Live TV is a good deal overall, and especially when drawing comparisons to the cost of the other live TV streaming services and what they offer. For example, YouTube TV costs $64.99 per month, while both DirecTV Stream and fuboTV both charge subscribers a minimum of $69.99 each month. Starting at $35 per month, Sling TV is considerable cheaper, but it also offers fewer channels in general.
For reference, the $69.99 per month plan is only one of the tiers that Hulu live subscribers can choose from. While opting for one of the other plans won’t change the actual number or selection of channel, it may affect other areas of the experience.
Hulu’s live TV plans compared:
| Plan | Standard | Live TV Only | No Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price p/m | $69.99 | $68.99 | $75.99 |
| Live TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Basic Hulu | ✔ | X | ✔ |
| Cloud DVR | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney+ | ✔ | X | ✔ |
| ESPN+ | ✔ | X | ✔ |
Hulu’s Live TV Only plan
The standard Hulu Live TV plan costs $69.99 per month and is likely to be the subscription most people naturally sign up for when visiting the Hulu website. In return for the $69.99 per month, subscribers get access to all of the live TV channels available through the base plan, as well as access to the on-demand movies and shows available through basic Hulu and Disney+, in additional to more sports content through ESPN+.
However, Hulu also offers a live TV subscription that’s exactly $1 per month cheaper than the standard $69.99 package. Although there is no difference between the $68.99 and $69.99 per month plans in terms of the channels, the slightly cheaper plan doesn’t come with on-demand access to basic Hulu. In addition, the $68.99 per month plan also doesn’t allow access to Disney+ or ESPN+ either. Considering this Hulu live TV subscription only results in a $1 saving each month, subscribers do lose access to a considerable amount of content in the process. Then again, $1 per month is still $1 per month. For those looking to save on the cost of live TV, there might not be any point in paying an additional $1 each month if they don’t want or need access to these other streaming services.
The other main benefits with the standard plan include an unlimited cloud DVR, and the ability to stream on up to two devices at the same time. Standard Hulu Live TV subscribers also have the option to expand the number of simultaneous streams through the additional purchase of the Unlimited Screens add-on, or expanding the channel lineup through either the Entertainment or Sports paid add-ons. None of these benefits are affected by the price, with the same premium add-ons available to those signing up to the Live TV Only plan as well. However, while Hulu does typically offer a free trial to those signing up to the base standard plan, those opting to go with the $68.99 per month subscription won’t be able to test the service out before having to pay.
Hulu (No Ads) Live TV explained
In addition to the $68.99 and $69.99 options, Hulu also offers a ‘No Ads’ versions of the standard plan, resulting in a total of three subscription tiers to choose from. However, the No Ads plans might not work exactly the way many might expect, so it is worth understanding what a subscriber gets (and doesn’t get) before paying the higher amount for an ad-free experience.
Put simply, the ‘No Ads’ statement only applies to the basic Hulu subscription. In addition to its live TV plans, Hulu also offers the option to just sign up to basic Hulu. How much basic Hulu costs depends on whether a subscriber wants to see ads. The price of the ad-supported version comes in at $6.99 per month, while the ad-free option increases the cost to $12.99 each month. In exactly the same way, the ‘Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV’ plan removes the ads when watching basic Hulu content, but ups the price from $69.99 to $75.99 per month. Considering the $68.99 Live TV Only plan doesn’t include basic Hulu, and the ad-free experience only applies to basic Hulu, there’s no option to subscribe to a ‘No Ads’ version of the Live TV Only plan.
As live TV is live, companies like Hulu have no control over the ads that are shown, so opting for the ‘No Ads’ subscription won’t remove the ads from anything that’s watched live. Likewise, it won’t remove the ads from recorded content either, as those commercials are recorded along with the rest of the video. Upgrading to the more expensive ‘No Ads’ plan is only going to be worthwhile if the individual or household plans to watch on-demand basic Hulu videos and don’t want to sit through inserted ads.
How much is Hulu Live TV summary
The standard, and most commonly used, Hulu Live TV subscription costs $69.99 per month. However, subscribers can opt to save $1 each month by subscribing to the $68.99 Live TV Only plan. As the name suggests, this slightly cheaper subscription only provides access to the service’s live TV channels and doesn’t include any on-demand content from basic Hulu, Disney+ or ESPN+. Otherwise, the two plans provide the same experience in general, including the same DVR, number of simultaneous streams, and add-on options. In addition to these two base plans, Hulu also offers a Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan which increases the price to $75.99 per month. Although this is considered an ad-free subscription, the No Ads plan only removes the commercials from on-demand basic Hulu videos and not live TV or any recorded videos.
Which subscription option is best will largely depend on the needs of the individual or household. In general, the standard $69.99 per month plan provides the best value overall and will likely be the best option for most homes. However, if there isn’t a need for the additional subscriptions that come bundled with Hulu Live TV, the option to save $1 per month with the Live TV Only plan might be the better option. The Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan is only really suitable for those that plan to watch ad-free basic Hulu videos.
Updated: March 2022
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