Hulu is upping the monthly subscription cost ofHulu + Live TVby an extra $10 per month — the second price hike in 2019 for the live streaming service. This brings the starting price of a membership to $55 per month as of December 18. The price of the regular Hulu on-demand service (ad-supported and premium) is unchanged.
The move comes less than one month after Sony announced it wouldterminate its PlayStation Vuelive TV streaming service in January 2020, citing the high costs of providing content.
Hulu’s rationale for the price hike uses different language, however, saying in anews releasethat “the new price better reflects the substantial value of Hulu + Live TV, and allows us to continue offering all of the popular live news, sports, and entertainment programming included in the plan. “Perhaps with one less competitor to contend with, Hulu feels it can justify a higher price for its offering.
It’s also possible that Hulu, which is entirely controlled — and majority-owned — by Disney, is being used to shore up losses that the company might have incurred to getDisney+off the ground.
Justified or not, the price hike continues to push the cost of so-called cord-cutting options ever higher. Even with a recently offered bundle price that lets youcombine Hulu + Live TV with ESPN+ and Disney+for $52 per month — which will rise to $62 per month once the price hike kicks in — we’re creeping ever closer to prices we’re used to seeing from cable and satellite companies.
Nonetheless, Hulu + Live TV remains a compelling live TV product. With more than 60 channels, included DVR functionality, and access to the entire on-demand and ad-free library of the regular Hulu service, there’s a lot of value for those who want a close-to-cable substitute.
You may also be tempted to switch toFuboTV. That service isn’t any cheaper than the upcoming price of Hulu + Live TV plan at $55 per month, but if you’re a sports fan, it has a huge range of options — everything except ESPN (a Disney property).
