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Hulu + Live TV Review
Hulu + Live TV has shifted from early cord-cutter pricing to a bundled, full-featured service. The current Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) plan starts at $76.99/month and includes Hulu on-demand (With Ads), Disney+ (With Ads), ESPN+ (With Ads), and Unlimited Cloud DVR with recordings kept up to nine months. By comparison, YouTube TV lists $72.99/month with unlimited DVR, Fubo Pro starts at $79.99/month and may add a market-based Regional Sports Fee in RSN areas, and DIRECTV’s streaming service (formerly DIRECTV NOW) advertises plans from $79.99/month. Sling remains the budget alternative at $40–$60/month for slimmer bundles. Hulu’s edge today is bundled value (Disney+ and ESPN+ included) plus a broad national channel lineup; exact channels vary by ZIP via Hulu’s channel lookup tool.
Hulu vs. Other Live TV Streaming Services
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*Channel availability varies by location — confirm with your ZIP code using Hulu’s channel lookup tool. Prices exclude taxes/fees; some providers assess RSN fees in applicable markets.
How We Evaluated Hulu + Live TV
Today’s vMVPDs look more like full cable replacements: broad local coverage, unlimited or very large cloud DVRs, and rising base prices. We grounded this review in official plan and help pages for pricing, channels, DVR/stream limits, and add-ons — including Hulu’s plans, YouTube TV’s Base Plan, Fubo’s plans and RSN fee, Sling’s packages, and DIRECTV via Internet. For your exact Hulu lineup, use the ZIP-based channel lookup tool.
Finding the right fit depends on the margins: which channels you must have, whether you need RSNs for in-market MLB/NBA/NHL games, and how many streams your household uses. Unlimited DVR is now common among top services, but stream limits and add-on pricing still vary — see Hulu’s Unlimited DVR and retention window in Cloud DVR and concurrent streaming rules in How many people can watch Hulu at once?
| [sc_minimodule feature=’shareable_image’ anchor=” url=’//assets.reviews.com/uploads/2019/04/22120452/Hulu-Logo.png’ alt=” title=’Hulu-Logo’ wrap=’full’][/sc_minimodule] | Our First Impressions:
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To see how Hulu stacks up today, we relied on official provider sources and hands-on testing across Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Historically, we referenced TiVo’s Q4 2017 Video Trends Report to understand channel desirability; any TiVo visualizations below are historical context only. Current recommendations use Hulu’s plan page, its ZIP-based channel lookup, and feature docs for the Live Guide and Cloud DVR.
We evaluated daily usability — Live Guide navigation, sports discovery, DVR performance, and reliability — and compared sports features with competitors. For instance, YouTube TV offers multiview on supported devices, while Hulu emphasizes integrated on‑demand, profiles, and Unlimited DVR. Note: Hulu content appears inside Disney+ for eligible subscribers, but Live TV features remain in the Hulu app per Disney’s help guidance.
Best channel selection
Hulu + Live TV carries a broad national lineup — typically 90–95+ channels — including local ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC affiliates in most markets, sports (ESPN networks, FS1/FS2, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, NFL Network), news (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC), and entertainment (TNT, TBS, USA, FX, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC). Exact availability varies by location; confirm your ZIP in Hulu’s channel lookup tool and review current plan details on Hulu’s plan page.
Note: The chart above reflects historical survey data and does not represent current 2025 lineups. For up‑to‑date channels in your area, use Hulu’s ZIP tool. If you need specific Paramount Global networks (e.g., Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon), remember that carriage can shift with negotiations; Hulu’s lineup may vary by market. Paramount also distributes content via streaming (Paramount+ and free Pluto TV), reflecting broader industry trends (price changes and FAST growth).
Bottom line: Hulu + Live TV balances strong local coverage, a wide national mix, and bundled Disney+/ESPN+ value. Always verify exact channels and local affiliates for your ZIP before you switch using Hulu’s lookup tool.
Premium add-ons like Max, STARZ, Cinemax, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME are available for an extra monthly charge, alongside lineup expanders such as the Sports Add-on ($9.99/month, adds NFL RedZone and niche sports), Entertainment Add-on ($7.99/month), Español Add-on ($4.99/month), and Unlimited Screens ($9.99/month). See Hulu’s add-ons page for the current slate.
Missing league-owned sports channels
For most fans, Hulu covers the biggest games across ABC/ESPN, FOX, and key cable sports networks, and it now includes NFL Network in the base Hulu + Live TV lineup in many markets. NFL RedZone is available via the Sports Add-on (details). Availability of league-owned channels like MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network varies by provider and may require specific tiers or add-ons elsewhere. Notably, MLB Network returned to YouTube TV in 2024, and NFL Sunday Ticket is sold through YouTube and YouTube TV. Thursday Night Football remains on Prime Video, and Peacock streamed an exclusive NFL Wild Card game in 2024 — a sign that marquee games are increasingly appearing on streaming platforms.
College sports are a strong suit on Hulu, with Big Ten Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and ESPNU available in many lineups. Pairing Hulu + Live TV with ESPN+ (included) extends coverage for many conferences and niche events. If you need specific league channels or RSNs, compare Hulu with YouTube TV, Fubo, or DIRECTV via Internet before switching. PlayStation Vue’s Core plan ($50) is discontinued; we note it here only for historical context.
Key takeaways for NFL fans: Sunday Ticket is exclusive to YouTube/YouTube TV; TNF streams on Prime Video; select postseason games may stream exclusively (e.g., Peacock’s Wild Card). For MLB/NBA/NHL, check whether you need league channels (MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network) and/or RSNs before choosing a provider.
Carries most regional sports networks
Hulu + Live TV emphasizes national sports networks and does not carry Bally Sports RSNs. If in‑market RSNs are must‑have for your MLB/NBA/NHL team, consider alternatives with stronger RSN support such as Fubo (note the potential Regional Sports Fee) or DIRECTV via Internet (RSNs available on higher tiers). Always confirm your local affiliates and any regional networks using Hulu’s ZIP tool before subscribing.
For many households, Hulu’s mix of national sports plus ESPN+ provides ample coverage without RSNs. If you follow multiple in‑market teams across different leagues, model your season needs against each provider’s RSN and add-on policies before deciding.
Mediocre channel-surfing experience
Hulu’s Live TV experience blends a grid-style Live Guide with Home, Sports, and My Stuff, backed by Unlimited DVR. The Live tab launches the Guide with program details and filters (e.g., Sports). Some titles support “restart from the beginning.” Recordings live in Cloud DVR and generally allow pause/rewind/fast-forward; rights restrictions can apply on certain networks. Profiles (up to six, including a Kids profile) keep recommendations separate (how profiles work).
Two caveats to set expectations: (1) Hulu + Live TV doesn’t market a native multiview mode for watching multiple games at once — a feature YouTube TV offers on supported devices — and (2) while Hulu content appears inside Disney+ for eligible users, Live TV channels and the Guide are available only in the Hulu app per Disney’s guidance.
Live TV is accessed from the Live tab and grid guide. Unlimited DVR is included (recordings are kept up to nine months), and most recordings support fast-forward. If you need multiview for big sports days, YouTube TV offers it on supported devices.
From the Live tab, you can browse channels, tune directly, or schedule recordings. The Sports section helps you follow leagues and teams so upcoming games surface quickly in Home and My Stuff. Layouts and overlays vary by platform (e.g., smart TVs vs. streaming sticks), but the grid provides a familiar browse-and-tune flow.
Recordings and scheduled items live in My Stuff; captions/subtitles and some audio descriptions are supported on most devices (learn more). Expect standard 10‑foot UI patterns across platforms, with minor differences by device.
Visuals shown here are illustrative and may not reflect the latest UI. On TV devices, the Live Guide typically overlays the screen; exact layouts vary by platform.
What we like: Unlimited Cloud DVR included; simple record-from-guide flows; sports and news rails for quick discovery; separate profiles (including Kids) keep recommendations personal. What could be better: native multiview for big game days.
Extra perks
Plans include Disney+ and ESPN+ by default on Hulu + Live TV (With Ads), which can offset the higher base price versus competitors for households already using those services (current plans). Unlimited Cloud DVR is included and recordings are kept up to nine months (details). Add-ons let you tailor the lineup: Sports Add-on ($9.99/month, with NFL RedZone), Entertainment ($7.99/month), Español ($4.99/month), Unlimited Screens ($9.99/month), and premium networks such as Max, STARZ, Cinemax, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (see add-ons).
Streams: Hulu + Live TV allows two concurrent streams by default. The Unlimited Screens add-on boosts you to unlimited devices at home and up to three on the go (stream limits). Competing norms include 3 streams on YouTube TV (unlimited at home with its 4K add-on), up to 10 at home on Fubo, and unlimited at home on DIRECTV via Internet.
If budget is the priority and you can live with fewer channels/locals, Sling is often cheaper ($40–$60/month) with 50 hours of DVR included (200 hours with DVR Plus). If you need RSNs, compare Fubo (mind the RSN fee) or DIRECTV via Internet.
The Bottom Line
Hulu + Live TV costs more than budget services, but it delivers a broad national channel mix, Unlimited DVR (nine‑month retention), and bundled Disney+ and ESPN+. If you want the lowest full-lineup price and stronger sports features such as multiview, YouTube TV is typically cheaper. If RSNs are critical, compare Fubo (watch for RSN fees) or DIRECTV via Internet. Before subscribing, confirm your exact local channels and sports networks with Hulu’s channel lookup tool.
