The price of Hulu + Live TV has now increased to $54.99 per month. This is not a sudden increase but a planned one considering Hulu announced the $10 price rise last month. The increase affects both new and existing subscribers equally.
It is probably more useful to focus on the fact the price has gone up by $10 than the actual cost considering the $54.99 per month is the entry-level price for Hulu + Live TV. For example, those who are subscribed to Hulu No Ads + Live TV were previously paying $50.99 per month to begin with. With the latest increase now in effect, that package has risen by the same amount, up to $60.99 per month.
When Hulu first announced the price increase the company explained this was a natural result of the industry. In other words, Hulu felt this price was necessary for it to be able to continue offering the same package and features it was before.
This marks the second time Hulu has raised the price of its live TV streaming package after initially increasing the price from $39.99 to $44.99 per month in February.
Hulu no longer as competitively priced
One of the big selling points with Hulu + Live TV was the price. At $44.99 per month it offered access to live TV channels at a cheaper price point than AT&T TV NOW, fuboTV, PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV. Following the price increase, Hulu + Live TV’s entry price is now higher than YouTube TV and on par with fuboTV.
Of course, Hulu + Live TV does also come with the standard ad-supported Hulu subscription. This on-demand subscription typically costs $5.99 per month and with that included in the Hulu + Live TV price, it does add additional value to the package.
However, that value has still decreased now and to the point where it’s largely negligible. For example, both AT&T TV NOW and YouTube TV currently charge $50 per month for live TV streaming. Either of those services coupled with a standard ad-supported Hulu subscription would bring the total to $55.99 per month. One dollar more than what Hulu is now charging for its combined package.
Although the price increase has only just gone live, it will be interesting to see if it has any knock-on effect with the service’s growth. Over the past year Hulu + Live TV has risen to become one of the major players in the live TV streaming service. By some estimations it has already overtaken Sling TV as the service with the most subscribers in the U.S.
With Sling TV’s entry-level price less than half what Hulu is now charging, the Dish Network-owned service might find itself back en route to the number one spot once again.
Source: Hulu
Leave a Reply