You’ve probably seen the commercials repeating the phrase “Hulu has live sports.” But what does this mean? How do you see them?
Hulu vs. Hulu Live TV
Think of Hulu like Netflix. Both are on-demand streaming services offering hundreds of TV shows and movies. If you want this version of Hulu, you’ll pay $7.99 / month if you are willing to sit through ads, or $17.99 / month if you want to get rid of commercials entirely. You can try this version for free for 30 days. It’s a generous trial to see if the service is right for you.
Where Hulu differs from Netflix is that you can add live TV channels to the service. For $76.99 / month, you’ll get local channels and 33 of the top 35 cable channels, including sports mainstays like ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, Fox Sports 2, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, along with MLB Network and NFL Network, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, SEC Network, and truTV.
Think of Hulu Live TV as a replacement for cable TV, with the added bonus of the on-demand originals.
If you pay for any Hulu Live TV option, you automatically get a subscription to Disney+ and ESPN+.
The $76.99 plan does include commercials for on-demand movies and shows. You can eliminate those commercials under their $75.99 / month plan.
There is no free trial for Hulu Live TV.
So Hulu does have live sports, how do you get them?
While Hulu’s SVOD plan includes some live NHL games, if you do want NFL, NBA, MLB, College Football, and College Basketball games, you will need the version with live TV.
What Sports Can You Watch With Hulu?
If you get the Hulu Live TV option, you can watch most professional sports.
NFL
Football fans can watch Monday Night Football on ESPN, Sunday Night Football on NBC, and Sunday day games on CBS, FOX, or NFL RedZone. Starting in the 2022 season, Thursday games move exclusively to Amazon Prime Video.
NBA
Basketball is easily available on ABC, ESPN, and TNT. Regional sports networks are more limited. Hulu Live TV offers teams that are covered by Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, NBC Sports Washington+, and SportsNet NY.
NHL
Hockey games are available on ESPN & TNT. But, 75+ exclusive nationally televised games are only available on Hulu and ESPN+. On top of that, the fact that that Hulu Live TV includes ESPN+ means you will also get access to every out-of-market NHL game. ESPN+ is your best choice to watch hockey.
MLB
Baseball fans will get any nationally televised games on ESPN and TBS, along with any teams covered in the regional networks listed above. Hulu does not have an agreement with the Bally Sports Networks, so those are not available.
Soccer
English Premier League fans will see matches on NBC and USA Network. Any MLS matches aired on Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, NBC Sports Washington+, and SportsNet NY are available. LaLiga and Bundesliga matches will be found mostly on your ESPN+ service.
UFC
Since a Hulu Live TV subscription includes ESPN+, that will be the home for most fights. You may need to pay an additional fee for marquee events.
Golf
Any tournament broadcast on the major networks or ESPN will be included. Golf Channel is also included in the standard Hulu Live TV lineup.
Tennis
You’ll get the major tournaments on the usual channels. Tennis Channel is not available.
Other Sports
If you need another channel, consult our Service Matchmaker to discover if it’s one in Hulu’s lineup or whether another service may fit your needs.
What Alternatives Are There?
If you want to stream live sports, you can do so with most services, including DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Each has pros and cons. YouTube TV may be the closest competitor in terms of channel lineups, but you wouldn’t get the benefit of the Hulu on demand library, along with free Disney+ and ESPN+.
Sling TV excels if you’re looking to save money by watching fewer channels. DIRECTV STREAM is best if you need regional sports networks. If you want included 4K and some upcoming gaming features, fuboTV may be for you.
Again, the unique part about Hulu is that you could get the standalone on-demand library or choose the full live TV package with the Disney+ and ESPN+ benefits. Conceivably, a Hulu Live TV subscription would give you so many things to watch, you wouldn’t need another streaming subscription.
Full Comparisons
Channel Comparisons
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Sign Up | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| A&E | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ACC Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| ACC Network Extra | - | - | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Altitude | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| AMC | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Arizona’s Family Sports | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SportsNet Pittsburgh | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| AT&T SportsNet Southwest | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Carolinas | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Detroit | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Florida | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Great Lakes | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Indiana | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Kansas City | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Midwest | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports New Orleans | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports North | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Ohio | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Oklahoma | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports San Diego | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports SoCal | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports South | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Southeast | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Southwest | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Sun | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Tennessee | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports West | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bally Sports Wisconsin | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BET | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Big Ten Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| Bravo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cartoon Network | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| CBS Sports Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| CNN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Disney Junior | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| E! | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Food Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox News | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FS1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox Sports 2 | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| Fox Sports Wisconsin | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Hallmark Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| HGTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| History | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lifetime | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Longhorn Network | + $15 | - | - | - | + $11 | - | - | |
| Marquee Sports Network | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MASN | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MASN2 | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| Monumental Sports Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| MSG | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MSG Sportsnet | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MSNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Bay Area | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Boston | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports California | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Chicago | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia+ | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Washington+ | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| NESN | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | |
| NHL Network | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| Nickelodeon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| Pac-12 Network | - | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| Paramount Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Rockies.TV Channel | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Root Sports Northwest | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SEC Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Space City Home Network | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Spectrum SportsNet | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Spectrum SportsNet LA | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SportsNet NY | + $29 | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| SportsTime Ohio | + $29 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Syfy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Telemundo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| The CW | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| TLC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Travel Channel | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Univision | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| USA Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| VH1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| WE tv | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| YES Network | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |