Hulu + Live TV is jacking the rates starting December 18

By Simon Cohen Published November 15, 2019

Hulu is upping the monthly subscription cost of Hulu + Live TV by an extra $10 per month — the second price hike in 2019 for the live streaming service. This brings the starting price of a membership to $55 per month as of December 18. The price of the regular Hulu on-demand service (ad-supported and premium) is unchanged.

The move comes less than one month after Sony announced it would terminate its PlayStation Vue live TV streaming service in January 2020, citing the high costs of providing content.

Recommended Videos

Hulu’s rationale for the price hike uses different language, however, saying in a news release that “the new price better reflects the substantial value of Hulu + Live TV, and allows us to continue offering all of the popular live news, sports, and entertainment programming included in the plan. “Perhaps with one less competitor to contend with, Hulu feels it can justify a higher price for its offering.

It’s also possible that Hulu, which is entirely controlled — and majority-owned — by Disney, is being used to shore up losses that the company might have incurred to get Disney+ off the ground.

Justified or not, the price hike continues to push the cost of so-called cord-cutting options ever higher. Even with a recently offered bundle price that lets you combine Hulu + Live TV with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $52 per month — which will rise to $62 per month once the price hike kicks in — we’re creeping ever closer to prices we’re used to seeing from cable and satellite companies.

Nonetheless, Hulu + Live TV remains a compelling live TV product. With more than 60 channels, included DVR functionality, and access to the entire on-demand and ad-free library of the regular Hulu service, there’s a lot of value for those who want a close-to-cable substitute.

If you’re a Hulu + Live TV subscriber now looking for cheaper alternatives, you certainly have options. YouTube TV is currently more expensive at $50 per month but will be less expensive after December 18. Sling TV, even with its combined Orange + Blue package, is only $40 per month.

You may also be tempted to switch to FuboTV. That service isn’t any cheaper than the upcoming price of Hulu + Live TV plan at $55 per month, but if you’re a sports fan, it has a huge range of options — everything except ESPN (a Disney property).

Topics

Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…

Entertainment

What is Philo? Everything to know about the live TV streaming service

The Philo streaming app.

With the rise of streaming services, cutting the cord on cable TV is easier than ever. While the most popular streamers like Netflix and Max have gigantic catalogs of video on demand (VOD) content, they don't tend to offer much access to live programming. That's where live TV streaming services like Philo shine.

Philo delivers more than 70 live channels, including options like AMC, HGTV & Nickelodeon. It competes with other live streamers like Sling TV, providing a budget-friendly choice that doesn't sacrifice access to the shows you want to watch.

Entertainment

Best live TV streaming services: YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and more

Amazon Prime Live TV on an iPad 11 Pro.

With so many streaming services allowing you to curate exactly what you watch on TV, when you want, millions of people have cut the cord in favor of streaming. Whether you pay for the privilege or opt for one of the various free ad-based streaming TV services (FAST), there's never been a better time to do it either. And with networks and streaming giants going all in to provide the best alternatives for live TV streaming, too, we are literally spoiled for choice.

From Hulu Plus Live TV to Sling TV to YouTube TV, there are options for watching your favorite live shows, or catching live televised events without needing to keep cable to do it.

Audio / Video

Should you upgrade to tvOS 18 right away?

The rear of Apple TV 4K.

Another year has come and gone, and that means we’re getting new major versions of Apple’s operating systems. Enter: tvOS 18. It’s probably not what you’d consider to be a huge update. I’ve been using it in its various beta forms for a while now, and you’re not going to see it and feel out of place or anything. But there are some new features.

But that brings up a good question, which is something worth asking anytime there’s a major update: Should up go ahead and update to tvOS 18? There are two camps on this sort of thing.
The case against updating
There are some folks who exercise a good deal of patience when it comes to updates. They hold off and see what other folks experience first. They’re not in a hurry for the latest and greatest features. They don’t see a software update and feel compelled by some invisible hand to click that install button just as quickly as possible.