Hulu is an excellent option for anyone who wants to stream TV and movies, but it can be confusing to understand what Hulu offers.
The term “Hulu” can refer to two different things:
- An on demand video catalog of movies and TV shows (essentially similar to Netflix or Disney+). This includes movies and series like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Castle Rock,” and “Nine Perfect Strangers.”
- A TV service with dozens of live channels (similar to YouTube TV or Sling TV). This includes access to as many as 0 channels. Subscribers to this service also get access to the Hulu on demand catalog.
How Many Hulu Plans Are There and What Are They?
The least expensive plan is $6.99/month and it goes up from there. Removing ads or adding live channels will increase the price.
Ad-Supported Plan ($6.99/month)
The least expensive version of Hulu is the ad-supported plan. That gives you access to the on demand library but not live TV. Any movies or shows you watch will be interrupted by commercials.
No Ads Plan ($12.99/month)
You get full access to the on demand library, and eliminate ads entirely at this higher rate. There is no live TV at this level. If you are interested in the on demand version (with or without ads), Hulu makes it easy with a 30-day free trial.
Hulu + Live TV ($64.99 or $70.99/month)
This version is more expensive because you are adding live television to the service. This would allow you to stream live sports on channels like ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, and TNT. Subscribers can add NFL RedZone for an additional fee.
Other channels included in the base package are A&E, ABC, CBS, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, Fox, Fox News, FX, HGTV, NBC, Nickelodeon, TBS, TLC, Travel Channel, USA Network, and VH1
Every Hulu Live package includes the on demand library at no extra cost. At $64.99/month, you will have to watch ads during the on demand movies or shows. For an additional $6/month, you can go ad-free. You will still see ads on live programming, no matter how much you pay.
If you’d like to try Hulu + Live TV, you can get a 7-day free trial.
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ABC News Live | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ACC Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| ACC Network Extra | - | - | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Animal Planet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| BET | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Big Ten Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| Bloomberg TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Bravo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cartoon Network | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| CBS Sports Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Cheddar | + $29 | + $8 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| CMT | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| CNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| CNN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CNN International | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Comedy.TV | + $29 | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| Cozi TV | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Disney Junior | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| Disney XD | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| E! | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN Bases Loaded | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPN College Extra | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPN Goal Line | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN3 | - | + $10 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNEWS | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Food Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox Business Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Fox News | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FS1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox Sports 2 | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| FOX Weather | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FXM | + $40 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| FXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| FYI | + $40 | - | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| Golf Channel | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| Hallmark Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Hallmark Mystery | + $5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| HGTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| History | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| HLN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| JusticeCentral.TV | + $29 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| Lifetime | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Lifetime Movie Network | + $40 | - | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| Monumental Sports Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| MotorTrend Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| MSNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| MyNetworkTV | - | + $10 | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NASA TV | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| Nat Geo Wild | + $40 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| National Geographic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Bay Area | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Boston | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports California | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Chicago | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Northwest | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia+ | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Washington+ | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| NECN | - | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| NewsNation | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nick Jr. | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Nickelodeon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| OWN | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| Oxygen | + $40 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Paramount Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| PBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| PBS Kids | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| POP TV | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| SEC Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| SEC Network+ | + $29 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Smithsonian Channel | + $5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| SportsNet NY | + $29 | - | ✓ | - | - | - | - | |
| Start TV | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Syfy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TCM | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Telemundo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| The CW | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| The Weather Channel | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| TLC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Travel Channel | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TV Land | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| Universal Kids | + $40 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| USA Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| VH1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Vice TV | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
Hulu Bundles
The best way to save on Hulu (in any form) is to bundle it with Disney+ and ESPN+. This gives you three powerful services at a $6 discount. The least expensive bundle is $13.99/month — that gives you all three services (but ads on Hulu). You can eliminate Hulu ads if you pay $19.99/month for the bundle. If you already subscribe to Disney+ or ESPN+, you can still add the bundle and save.
If you want to bundle the services and include Hulu’s Live TV option, that’s $72.99/month. That version includes ads in Hulu’s on-demand library. If you pay another $6/month, that eliminates those ads.
Hulu Live TV Add-Ons
If you go with a Hulu Live TV option, you can add premium channels like Cinemax, HBO, Parmount+ with SHOWTIME, and Starz for $9-$15 each. There are also channel bundles available.
- Entertainment Add-on ($7.99/month): additional news and lifestyle channels like BET Her, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, Discovery Family, Nicktoons, MTV2, MTV Classic, and TeenNick.
- Sports Add-on ($9.99/month): extends Hulu’s sports lineup with live and on-demand content from NFL RedZone, TVG, TVG2, MAVTV, Outdoor Channel, and Sportsman Channel.
- Español Add-on ($4.99/month): Spanish-language live streams and on-demand content from NBC Universo, CNN en Español, ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, and History Channel en Español.
Which Plan is Right for You?
Since each Hulu plan offers a free trial, we’d recommend sampling Hulu + Live TV for 7 days to see if you like what it has to offer. If you already have a preferred live TV provider, it’s worth trying the on-demand-only version of Hulu for 30 free days.