Hulu launched its live streaming service, called Hulu with Live TV, on Wednesday with 60 channels and a 50-hour cloud-based DVR system. Hulu Live will cost you US$39.99 a month unless you also want Showtime, which adds $8.99 to the price.
Hulu’s live streaming service is aimed at cord cutters and includes content from 21st Century Fox, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Disney, ESPN, Food Network, Fox Sports, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and more. It also bundles in Hulu’s $7.99 a month streaming catalog at no extra cost.
Right now Hulu Live is beta, which most likely refers to the limited number of supported devices and the lack of local affiliate content. Hulu with Live TV supports Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Android, Chromecast, and Xbox One. Support for Fire TV, Roku, Samsung smart TVs, Mac, and PC is promised to be coming soon.
If Hulu’s basic package leaves you wanting more, here’s what you can add on to your monthly bill:
- Enhanced Cloud DVR $14.99 – 200 hours of recording, unlimited simultaneous show recording, fast forward through ads
- Unlimited Screens $14.99 – Unlimited number of streams in home and up to three on the go
- Enhanced DVR + Unlimited Screens $19.99 – Enhanced DVR and unlimited screens bundle with a $10 discount
- No Commercials $4.00 – Skip commercials in on-demand shows
- Showtime $8.99 – On-demand access to all of Showtime’s content
Assuming you want Showtime, more DVR storage and flexibility, plus support for multiple streams, your Hulu With Live TV service will set you back $68.97 a month. You won’t, however, get HBO, AMC, Viacom, or Discovery since they aren’t in the Hulu family.
Hulu with Live TV’s pricing puts it in line with other live streaming services, so you won’t get much in the way of cost savings. If you want a single streaming service with the four big traditional networks, along with a truck load of other channels and can do without HBO and AMC, Hulu with Live TV may be worth checking out.
You can download Hulu’s streaming app for the iPhone and iPad at Apple’s App Store for free.
The Hulu’s live TV service is a fine competitor with the DirecTV Now, Vue, Sling, and many others in the market. The multi-year deal is for the amazing Hulu on-demand subscription service