Hulu Live TV currently is the best deal in live TV streaming. For others, it will undoubtedly be due to its capacity to add more value than other live TV services, like YouTube TV. Others, on the other hand, may find it worthwhile to switch to a different service to obtain access to more features or save on price overall.
Hulu had been rather silent in recent years. Meanwhile, the price steadily increased in the backdrop. The increase to $64.99 towards the end of 2020 signified a major change in value for a service that initially cost $39.99 per month. The price of a Hulu Live TV subscription will rise again by the end of 2021. However, this rise was different from prior ones, and it appears to have begun a new chapter of change in the Hulu household.
Hulu Live TV is currently $69.99 per month, more expensive than YouTube TV‘s standard subscription price of $64.99. At the same time, it is less expensive than DirecTV Stream or fuboTV’s entry-level subscriptions, which both cost $69.99 monthly. However, these services are much more expensive than Sling TV and Philo options. However, they provide a more premium and/or channel-rich package than less expensive live TV streaming options like Sling and Philo.
Why Is Hulu The Best Deal Now?
One of the simplest ways to appreciate the value available from Hulu is to compare the base plan to last year. The channel list has mostly stayed the same, but the price has risen by $5 a month. However, with the price rise, Hulu added Disney+ and ESPN+ subscriptions to the package. These memberships cost $7.99 and $6.99 per month, respectively, so subscribers save about $15 per month compared to subscribing to all three services independently. This is before you consider that Hulu Live TV also includes the standard Hulu subscription, saving you another $6.99 monthly.
Hulu has announced that all subscribers will have unlimited cloud DVR access beginning next month, adding to the value on offer. YouTube TV had a significant advantage over Hulu Live TV in this aspect, as it also provides an unlimited recording experience, but that advantage has suddenly vanished. Hulu Live TV subscribers will continue to be limited to retaining recordings for a maximum of nine months, although this is also a limitation imposed by YouTube TV. The key difference between Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV at the DVR level is the latter’s ability to offer a customized recording experience to each profile of a shared subscription.
Although the $69.99 monthly fee makes Hulu Live TV one of the more expensive subscriptions available, the overall value is extremely good. Signing up for Hulu Live TV grants subscribers access to not just a wide choice of live TV channels but also Disney+, basic Hulu, and ESPN+. Not to mention that they can record as much content as they want without worrying about running out of space. Hulu is undoubtedly one of the best deals in live TV at this price and with these features.
It Might Not Be The Best Deal For Everyone
While there is little doubt that Hulu today provides excellent, if not the best overall value, there are a few exceptions; first, most consumers associate value with cost, and Hulu Live TV is generally a costly option. Yes, a subscription is packed with features and extra perks, but they only matter if the person or household wants access to all of these extras. For instance, if there is no interest in Disney or ESPN content, the extra $15 in savings is nothing. The same may be said with basic Hulu. When these extra benefits are removed from the equation, the value becomes much more difficult to justify.
Take, for instance, fuboTV. In addition to the rest of its news and entertainment channel selection, this service strongly emphasizes sports content. fuboTV may be a better overall value for people searching solely for live TV to watch live sports. To put the difference into perspective, Hulu Live TV officially promises to offer more than 75 channels. In comparison, fuboTV claims to offer subscribers access to 109 channels for the same price. Moreover, the majority of them are supplementary sports-related channels. This effectively implies that fuboTV subscribers receive more of what they want from a live TV streaming service.
There are also services like Sling TV. Sling TV’s services start at $35 per month and are known for being an economical live TV alternative. Yes, the two Sling TV subscriptions have fewer channels than Hulu live TV, but the price is essentially half. Even if users pay individually for basic Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, they will still pay less than they would for Hulu Live TV. The difference is enough to pay the cost of another streaming service that is more suitable for the individual user or household. Not to mention, Sling TV has a plethora of other add-ons that may significantly boost the number of channels available. Although they offer the monthly cost, Hulu does not provide a mechanism to add the price for individuals who do not want to pay for channels they will not watch. That is the primary difference between the two services.
Hulu Live TV Best Deal Conclusion:
Hulu Live TV has long been a popular option for streaming live TV, partly because of the value that a subscription provides by combining Hulu with live TV. However, the value of a subscription has grown significantly in recent weeks due to the addition of Disney+ and ESPN+ subscriptions. Not to add that the limitless cloud DVR now undermines one of YouTube TV’s primary selling features. Nevertheless, for many, Hulu Live TV is now the best live TV deal available.
However, there will be many people and homes for whom Hulu Live TV is not the best deal. If extra subscriptions aren’t required, there’s no reason to pay a higher monthly cost for a service like Hulu Live TV. Instead, with its cheaper monthly cost, Sling TV (or possibly Philo) is likely to remain a superior option. For busy homes, the per-profile unlimited cloud DVR is likely to keep YouTube TV as the best option, especially since it is currently $5 cheaper than Hulu Live TV.