The greatest thing about any streaming service is its sustainability in the market as long as it can be the popular entertainment choice for the users. Not every other app gets attracted by millions of users just like Hulu. Undoubtedly, Hulu tops the list of the best apps for Firestick to cut the cord. It has three different plans namely Hulu, Hulu (No Ads), and Hulu+Live TV. Of the three subscription plans, if your primary focus is on live TV streaming, then you will get to know all about Hulu+Live TV. Before you proceed to purchase it, check out our Hulu Live TV review for clear cut information.
What is Hulu Live TV?
Hulu+Live TV is a subscription-based streaming package of Hulu. It is the only OTT service of the Hulu app to supports live TV streaming. It was launched by 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney in 2017. Of 30.4 million subscribers of Hulu, 3.2 million of them uses the Live TV subscription service.
Watch every other live TV and on-demand TV with this service. Currently, the service has about 65+ popular channels. This covers sports and news channels as well. Besides this, users can watch exclusive series, blockbuster hit movies, premium Hulu Originals, and more. It gives you full access to can’t miss events, current shows, and episodes, etc.
Plans & Pricing
There are two different live TV plans available. You can choose between either of them that fits your need.
- Hulu+Live TV – $54.99/month
- Hulu(No Ads)+Live TV – $60.99/month
New users can start with a 7-day free trial. Users can cancel the subscription at any time without any charges.
Hulu+Live TV Add-ons & Pricing
Apart from the premium add-ons, users of Hulu+Live TV can get access to the following Live TV add-ons at extra charge.
- HBO – $15/month
- Cinemax – $10/month
- SHOWTIME – $11/month
- STARZ – $9/month
Apart from the above premium add-ons, the service supports the following channel bundles.
- Enhanced Clour DVR – $9.99/month
- Unlimited Screens – $9.99/month
- Entertainment Networks – $7.99/month
- Espanol Networks – $4.99/month
- Enhanced Clour DVR + Unlimited Screens – $14.98/month
Hulu Live TV Compatible Devices
You can watch shows and live TV contents on your favorite devices. This includes
- Android Smartphones
- iPhone and iPad
- Windows PC
- Mac PC
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Samsung TV
- LG TV
- Chromecast
- PlayStation 4
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox One & 360
User Interface
The user-interface of the Hulu app is clean, clutter-free, and modern. It is intuitive-to-use and is unlike a cable TV box or any other streaming service. You will find the large text with an eye-catchy color scheme. With the recent interface update, the user can navigate with ease. The home screen features options like Search, Home, My Stuff, TV Shows, and Movies. Thus, accessing anything on this Hulu service is much simpler.
On its home screen, you will find up to four titles with a small description for each. Every time you open the app, it will bring you a personalized collection of shows and movies or frequently watched channels.
The channel guide will be shown as a grid and it shows the currently playing and up next contents. With the responsive search tool, you will find search results under three categories like Movies, Episodes, and Top Results.
Going just beyond the home screen, you will find a separate menu for DVR, live TV, saved programs, search, etc. The added advantage of this service is its support for the Kids Mode profile. This will clear away all those inappropriate contents. The only missing option is it doesn’t let you customize contents based on age.
Content, Quality & Performance
As far as the contents, users with a subscription can stream breaking news and live sports, award shows, prime time dramas, weather forecasts, Originals, thousands of movies and shows from streaming library. It brings national, local, and regional news, sports, or entertainment channels.
In addition, it also brings a wide variety of network on-demand shows and movies. Its library gets updated with new episodes the day after airing. Above all, it supports creating up to six user-profiles and watch content on two devices at the same time. Get Unlimited Screens option to stream on more than three devices.
The live TV service has never failed to show its best when it comes to the quality of the contents and performance. Upon using, the channels load quickly and users will not face any buffering issues. It supports video streaming quality from 720p to full HD and up to 4K. The service supports 60 fps on most channels on compatible devices.
Cloud DVR
Of all Hulu plans, a Live TV subscription is the only package to get the live TV recording support. The users can record live TV for about 50 hours and stream it from the Cloud DVR storage. You can record shows, episodes, games, and movies.
If that isn’t enough, then buy the Enhanced Cloud DVR at $9.99/month to get an additional benefit of streaming videos of up to 200 hours. With this, you can even record multiple shows simultaneously. It supports fast-forwarding contents including the ads.
Live Guide
The one another impressive feature of this package of Hulu is it’s Live Guide. With this feature, you can see what’s airing currently and coming up over the next two weeks. Users can set up cloud DVR recordings while browsing content. With the filter option, you can view contents by genres, channels, etc.
Channel Line-ups
The live TV package of Hulu has interesting channel lineups and we have listed those popular ones here in this section.
Live News
Catch up the breaking news from any parts of the world. Here are the popular channels to tune in for stories that matter to you.
- CNN
- MSNBC
- FOX
- CNBC
- ESPNEWS
- FOX NEWS
- HLN and more other local news channels
Live Sports
Watch your favorite teams playing matches and get up-to-date scrores, highlight, etc. You shall even start streaming NBA, NFL, English Premier League, etc.
- BTN
- TNT
- CBS
- GOLF
- NBCSN
- ESPN
- FS1 & FS2
Family & Kids-Friendly Channels
Hulu has designed its streaming packages to be kids friendly and thus getting entertainment at home is never an issue.
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Cartoon Network
- Universal Kids
Other Popular Channels
- A&E
- ABC
- Animal Planet
- Bloomberg
- E!
- HGTV
- TNT
- TBS
- Food Network
Pros & Cons
Everything has two sides and thus is Hulu Live TV. We have covered both the most impressive as well as the features it is missing here in this section.
Pros of Hulu Live TV
- Modern interface
- No hidden fees (installation and equipment rentals)
- Offers contents in all the categories
Cons of Hulu Live TV
- No support for offline viewing
- Upgrade to stream on more than 2 devices
- The ad-free version requires additional cost
Is Hulu+Live TV Worth Considering?
Yes. It worked best-in-class on our test and there are numerous things that made it a worth using the streaming service. It has a wide selection of streaming channels and content. Thus every other user will find something interesting to watch.
It is one among the few apps to support the most popular channels. Since it is a multi-platform app, you can stream on any device. The most important thing about this Live TV package is it supports DVR contents for an unlimited time. It seems to be an expensive streaming service. But every penny you spend is worth it.
Our Opinion
If you are about to switch from cable TV subscription, then Hulu+Live TV is worth the choice. With this service, you will consider paying less than for your TV. Although it has some drawbacks, it is still the best of live TV streaming service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the internet speed I need to stream Hulu Live TV?
It is recommended to use at least 8 Mbps for live TV. To stream 4K contents, you require 16 Mbps.
What are the popular channels that I will not find?
As of now, you will not find Hallmark Channel, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, MTV, etc.
Is Hulu Live TV costs low when it comes to streaming Regional Sports Networks?
Yes. It supports most sports channels at an affordable rate. However, content availability varies across regions.
Can I get Hulu Live TV with Disney Bundle?
Yes. It is possible to substitute your Hulu Live TV plan that is included Disney Bundle.