In August, Disney announced a number of price hikes to its various streaming services, including Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. As part of the announcement, the company also shared that Disney+ would be launching an ad-supported plan in December 2022. There has been a lot of confusion about what this all means for Hulu + Live TV, and whether or not a price hike is coming to Disney’s live TV streaming service.
What Price Hikes Did Disney Announce to Hulu + Live TV?
Starting on Dec. 8, 2022, existing Hulu + Live TV subscribers on the base plan — which includes The Disney Bundle — will see the price go from $69.99 per month to $74.99 per month. That’s because those customers will automatically keep the version of The Disney Bundle that includes Disney+ with No Ads.
Is There a Way to Pay Less For Hulu + Live TV?
That same day, all new customers of Hulu + Live TV will still be able to sign-up for the same $69.99 per month price that the service is today. The big difference is that while it still comes with The Disney Bundle, it will include the Disney+ Ad-Supported Tier, instead of the Disney+ No Ads Plan.
Existing customers that don’t want to pay $5 more per month, can downgrade to the Hulu + Live TV that includes The Disney Bundle (w/ Disney+ Ad-Supported Plan).
What About the Hulu + Live TV (No Ads) Plan?
Where you really can’t avoid a price hike is if you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV (No Ads). This plan includes Hulu + Live TV, as well as Hulu (No Ads), Disney+ (No Ads), and ESPN+. Starting in December, the price will increase from $75.99 monthly to $82.99 per month.
With the price increase, you are paying a hefty premium for no ads, even more than those who subscribe to just The Disney Bundle. Without Hulu + Live TV, The Disney Bundle (With Ads) vs. The Disney Bundle (No Ads) will have a $7 price difference ($12.99 vs. $19.99 per month), but as part of Hulu + Live TV – you will be paying $13 more to get rid of ads ($69.99 vs. $82.99).
It is still cheaper to keep your Hulu + Live TV subscription tied to The Disney Bundle though. Since The Disney Bundle with No Ads is $19.99 per month, it would cost $89.99 monthly if you subscribed to each service separately.
What Should You Do?
If you want to avoid any change to the price of Hulu + Live TV, your best option is to choose the new base plan that includes The Disney Bundle with Disney+ with Ads. If you want Disney+ (No Ads), you should pay the new $74.99 per month pricing, since it is only available to existing customers.
The big question you should ask yourself though is whether or not it is worth $8 to drop ads from Hulu altogether. With Hulu + Live TV, you can now record to your DVR and then fast-forward through ads. You could always choose to do that instead of paying the additional cost to drop ads from Hulu on-demand content.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 70 channels for $76.99/month. Hulu + Live TV base plan includes local channels, 33 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs). Subscribers get free access to Disney+ and ESPN+ at no extra charge.