Is Hulu + Live TV Disney Bundle Still Worth It Following Price Hike?

For a while, whenever anyone asked me what the best value in live streaming was, I would almost immediately default to the multi-faceted savings available through Hulu + Live TV. Not only does the Disney-owned service offer a three-day free trial, but it also has nearly every major broadcast and cable network you could want. Its $76.99 per month base price puts it right in the sweet spot between the major, comparable live TV streaming services like YouTube TV ($72.99), DIRECTV STREAM ($79.99), and Fubo ($94.99).

The difference is that none of those other services offer added benefits anywhere near the value of the Disney Bundle; Hulu + Live TV customers get the on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+ at no additional charge. However, in October, Disney will raise the price on nearly all its streaming offerings, including Hulu + Live TV. So the question becomes, is Hulu + Live TV still the best value in streaming? I’ll break down all of the prices associated with the forthcoming price hike in an attempt to figure out the best way to stream and save.

Key Details:

• With nearly all of the major broadcast and cable channels, as well as the Disney Bundle, Hulu + Live TV was tough to beat.
• Hulu + Live TV will increase its price by $6 per month in October.
• Whether or not ESPN+ is important to you could determine whether you should stick with Hulu + Live TV or not.

Currently, you can get Hulu + Live TV, ad-supported versions of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ come included in the $76.99 per month price. But, beginning on Thursday, Oct. 17, the price for that particular bundle will increase to $82.99. Conversely, the bundle that includes ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney+ will go from $89.99 to $95.99 monthly. The new prices are still cheaper than if you cobbled together a bundle of the services individually, but there might be a better way to get what you want, especially considering that there is a new streaming bundle from Disney that will not be impacted by the price hikes.

Last month, Disney officially launched a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery that allows consumers to bundle Disney+ and Hulu with WBD’s flagship streamer Max for $16.99 (ad-supported) or $29.99 (ad-free). This brings a whole new level of economic intrigue into the debate as you are trying to figure out the best route forward. Currently, there is no bundle that includes both ESPN+ and Max, but for many cord-cutters, that’s not a problem. Disney stopped releasing the quarterly subscriber totals for ESPN+ this month, which drew suspicion from our David Satin, so it does make you wonder if there is a decreasing level of demand for the service, outside of sports diehards.

If the sports programming afforded by the ESPN streamer isn’t important to you, then you could actually save some money by moving away from Hulu + Live TV. Following the price hike, a Hulu + Live TV subscription will cost at least $82.99, but will come with the ad-supported on-demand Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. If you want to add Max onto that, you will have to do so ala carte, as the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle savings do not apply to Hulu + Live TV subscribers. In total, that will be $92.98 every month.

However, if you forgo ESPN+, you can sign up for YouTube TV for $72.99 per month and then add on the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle for $16.99, bringing your monthly total to $89.98. The $3 per month savings might not represent a massive difference in cost, but given the rising price of streaming services, savings are savings, and this could help cover part of the cost for another streamer to stack on top of this bundle.

Ad-Supported Entertainment-Focused Bundles:

Interestingly, enough. The savings become even more dramatic when you move to the ad-free options. There is no way to get a truly ad-free Disney Bundle experience, as ESPN+ in large part is built around linear broadcasts that will always have commercials. So, when you sign up for the Hulu + Live TV ad-free bundle, what you are essentially getting is Hulu on-demand and Disney+ without ads. That will cost you $95.99 per month, up from the $89.99 before the price hike. If you then wanted to add on Max ad-free, that would be another $16.99 for a total of $112.98.

However, by opting for YouTube TV and the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle, you can get all of the entertainment options for $102.98, $10 cheaper every month; that’s enough to add on a subscription to Peacock, Paramount+, Netflix, or Apple TV+ $], and in many cases, still have some money left over.

Ad-Free Entertainment-Focused Bundles:

However, as college football and basketball, the NFL, NBA, and NHL all start to get back to action, that means a service like ESPN+ will become even more important to sports-minded cord-cutters. Not only does it serve as the home for hundreds of exclusive NCAA games, matches, and events, but it is also the home for the NHL’s out-of-market streaming service, so you can watch every hockey game this season not available elsewhere in your region.

So, if having access to all of those games is important, it looks like the best option is to stick with Hulu + Live TV, whether you want your on-demand entertainment with commercials or ad-free.

Ad-Supported Entertainment and ESPN+ Bundles:

Ad-Free Entertainment and ESPN+ Bundles:

The Streamable’s Take

Ultimately, whether or not it is financially worth it to stick with Hulu + Live TV following the October price increase will come down to a matter of priorities. If sports are not important to you, then you would likely be better off going with a different option for your live TV streaming needs, especially if you prefer on-demand content to be commercial-free. However, if you think that you will be tuning into the live sports action on ESPN+ — not to mention all of the analysis, documentaries, alternate broadcasts, and more — then it is probably worth it to stick with Hulu + Live TV, despite the difficult-to-swallow price hike.