At $6 a month, basic Hulu is one of the best deals in streaming, with gobs of current and past TV shows and movies. Its Hulu Plus Live TV upgrade may cost a lot more at $55, but that monthly fee buys one of the best live TV streaming services around. Hulu Plus Live TV is currently our favorite service for people looking to quit cable TV yet keep a healthy mix of live sports, news and local channels. And it also includes Hulu’s deep on-demand catalog of network TV shows and original programming, something no other live TV service can match.
LikeSolid mix of channels for the moneyFull access to Hulu’s on-demand content
Don’t LikeDVR is quite limited without the $10 upgrade
When YouTube TV ($65 at YouTube TV) jacked its price from $50 to $65, Hulu Plus Live TV instantly became our favorite premium-priced service — especially for those who were initially attracted to YouTube TV as a way to save money. While YouTube TV offers more top channels and a superior DVR, Hulu Plus Live TV is a better value at $10 per month less.
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What do you get?
Hulu Plus Live TV expands upon the on-demand service with a healthy selection of live channels and throws in both a cloud DVR and program guide guide. Live TV is available on via Hulu’s standard app on all the major platforms including computer browsers, iOS, Xbox One, PS4, Android, Apple TV ($179 at Apple), Fire TV, Roku and Smart TV systems.
Hulu’s channel count is solid but has a handful fewer major cable channels than than YouTube TV and Fubo TV. Important channels missing from Hulu include AMC, BBC America, MTV and Comedy Central. Check the channel lineup at the end of the article, to see if the Hulu Plus Live TV’s mix is right for you.
Like most other live TV streaming services, Hulu has had a number of price increases since it debuted and currently costs $55 a month. The service’s biggest gotcha is the $10-a-month charge for the Enhanced DVR. Without it, the standard, non-enhanced DVR on Hulu Plus Live TV lacks the ability to fast-forward and rewind through commercials on recorded content. In addition to allowing you to fast-forward through commercials, paying for the upgrade also increases storage from 50 hours to 200 hours.
Premium live TV streaming services compared
Premium services
YouTube TV
AT&T TV Now
Hulu Plus Live TV
FuboTV
Base price
$65/month
$55/month
$55/month
$60/month
Total number of top 100 channels
75
45
59
68
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Record shows for later (cloud DVR)
Yes (keep for 9 months)
Yes (20GB, keep for 30 days)
Yes (50 hours, 200 hours plus commercial skip for $10/month)
Yes (30GB, 500GB for $10 a month)
Step-up packages with more channels
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Simultaneous streams per account
3
2 ($5 option for 3)
2 ($10 option for unlimited)
2 ($6 option for 3)
Many users see commercial skipping as a must-have for any DVR. Adding it brings the monthly price of Hulu Plus Live TV up to $65, which is the same price as YouTube TV. And all of the other premium services include cloud DVRs that let you skip commercials as part of their standard functions and the best, YouTube TV, has unlimited storage, too. In short, if you’re a heavy DVR user you might consider the extra $10 per month for YouTube TV worth paying.
Read more: YouTube TV vs. Sling TV vs. Hulu vs. Philo vs. Fubo vs. AT&T TV Now: Live TV channels compared
What’s it like to use?
Ty Pendlebury/CNET
Hulu has been tweaking the live TV interface since it launched a couple years ago, and the most recent changes are the best. Previously users could only see four-and-a-half shows at a time in a large font with no descriptions, but this is changing to a large marquee and “cover” art for all the remaining shows now grouped by type. On the main TV streaming devices, the top of the interface has a simplified selection featuring Home, Live TV, My Stuff (favorites and DVR recordings) and Browse. In terms of user-friendliness Hulu Plus Live TV now in line with its biggest competitor, YouTube TV.
Hulu’s program guide was once one of the least usable in the category, but it’s now become even more extensive than YouTube TV’s. The traditional grid offers guide data which is 14 days out and scrolling through pages is zippy, especially on Apple TV. In comparison, YouTube TV’s guide only displays programs up to eight hours in advance.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Recording to the DVR is a little bit of a pain — you can only do it from the guide. If you want to record the show you’re currently watching you need to exit to the guide. Once there you need to either long-press the middle button (Apple/Roku) or press the hamburger button and click record. Every other DVR-available service lets you record while you’re still watching it.
Should you get it?
If you enjoy the mix of channels and don’t need a DVR with commercial skipping, then Live TV could be what you’re looking for. Its biggest trump card is its tight integration with the Hulu service — if you like Hulu, you’ll like Live TV. The recent upgrades are the dressing on what was already a lovely window. Hulu Plus Live TV is now the premium service to get, at least until its own inevitable price bump.
If you don’t need as many channels or streaming locals (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox), Sling TV Blue offers a much cheaper rate at $30 per month — guaranteed for a year — and that price makes it our favorite live TV streaming service overall (Note that ViacomCBS is the parent company of CNET).
Channel comparison
Below you’ll find a chart that’s a smaller version of this massive channel comparison. It contains the top 100 channels from each service. Some notes:
Yes = The channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier.No = The channel isn’t available at all on that service. $ = The channel is available for an extra fee, either a la carte or as part of a more expensive package or add-on. Not every channel a service carries is listed, just the “top 100” as determined by CNET’s editors. Minor channels such as AXS TV, CNBC World, Discovery Life, GSN, POP and Universal Kids didn’t make the cut.Regional sports networks — channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and hockey teams — are not listed. Top 100 channels compared
Channel
Hulu with Live TV ($55)
AT&T TV Now ($55)
FuboTV ($60)
YouTube TV ($65)
Total top channels:
59
45
68
75
ABC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
CBS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
PBS
No
No
No
Yes
CW
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MyNetworkTV
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
A&E
Yes
$
Yes
No
ACC Network
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
AMC
No
$
Yes
Yes
Animal Planet
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
BBC America
No
$
Yes
Yes
BBC World News
No
$
$
Yes
BET
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Big Ten Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Bloomberg TV
No
$
No
No
Boomerang
Yes
Yes
No
No
Bravo
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cartoon Network
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
CBS Sports Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Cheddar
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cinemax
$
$
No
$
CMT
No
$
Yes
Yes
CNBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
CNN
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Comedy Central
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cooking Channel
$
$
$
No
Destination America
$
$
$
No
Discovery Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Disney Channel
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Disney Junior
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Disney XD
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
DIY
$
$
$
No
E!
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
EPIX
No
$
No
$
ESPN
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ESPN 2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ESPNEWS
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
ESPNU
Yes
$
$
Yes
Food Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Fox Business
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox News
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox Sports 1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox Sports 2
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Freeform
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FX
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FX Movies
Yes
Yes
$
Yes
FXX
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FYI
$
$
Yes
No
Golf Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Hallmark
No
Yes
Yes
No
HBO
$
$
No
$
HGTV
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
History
Yes
$
Yes
No
HLN
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
IFC
No
$
Yes
Yes
Investigation Discovery
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Lifetime
Yes
$
Yes
No
Lifetime Movie Network
$
$
Yes
No
MLB Network
No
$
No
Yes
Motor Trend
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
MSNBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MTV
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
MTV2
No
$
$
No
National Geographic
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nat Geo Wild
Yes
Yes
$
Yes
NBA TV
No
$
$
Yes
NBC Sports Network
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Newsy
No
No
$
Yes
NFL Network
No
No
Yes
No
NFL Red Zone
No
No
$
No
NHL Network
No
$
$
No
Nickelodeon
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nick Jr.
No
Yes
Yes
No
Nicktoons
No
$
$
No
OWN
No
$
Yes
Yes
Oxygen
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Paramount Network
No
$
Yes
Yes
Science
$
$
$
No
SEC Network
Yes
$
$
Yes
Showtime
$
$
$
$
Smithsonian
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Starz
$
$
No
$
Sundance TV
No
$
Yes
Yes
Syfy
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tastemade
No
$
Yes
Yes
TBS
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
TCM
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Telemundo
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tennis Channel
No
$
$
Yes
TLC
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
TNT
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Travel Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
TruTV
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
TV Land
No
$
Yes
Yes
USA Network
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
VH1
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Viceland
Yes
$
Yes
No
Weather Channel
No
$
Yes
No
WE tv
No
$
Yes
Yes