I don't know why this Live TV + streaming bundle is being kept a secret

Summary

Hulu + Live TV offers bundled streaming services for $83/month post-price hike.
The service includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ subscriptions, adding significant value.
The user interface may not be as intuitive as other live TV apps, which could impact the decision-making process.

Ever since YouTube TV raised its price to close out 2024, I’ve been checking out other live TV apps. As it turns out, there’s a lot more available than just YouTube, but they each have their pros and cons. I already gave Fubo a whirl, and while I liked it, I don’t know if it’ll be enough to fully convert somebody over from YouTube TV.

Another service worth giving a shot is Hulu + Live TV. This service recently made the news as part of an announced merger between it and Fubo, but there’s no telling when that’ll be finalized. As of right now, you can subscribe to both Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, and it sounds like the two services will remain separate even when the merger is complete. Before Disney gets too far ahead of itself, I decided to try out Hulu + Live TV, and it actually has a big edge over YouTube TV right off the bat.

Hulu With Live TV

Simultaneous streams: 2
# of profiles: 7
Live TV: Yes
Price: Starts at $75.99
Free trial: Yes, 3 days
Ad plans: Yes

I compared YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV — here’s which one I’d ditch cable for

In the world of cable alternatives, Hulu and YouTube reign supreme, but one may be better for you.

Hulu + Live TV comes with streaming services

The value is baked right in

Hulu

Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV cost $83 a month after price hikes, so you’d think the two services share a lot in common with each other. That’s true, but there’s a big factor in choosing Hulu over YouTube, and it’s the bundled streaming services.

For $83 a month, not only are you getting a wide selection of live TV channels to watch, but you get subscriptions to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for the same price too. In comparison, YouTube TV doesn’t offer any streaming services for the base price. I had no idea this existed before I signed up, so it’s a nice bonus.

There are some caveats, and the big one is that all of these services have ads. If you want to ditch the ads, you have to bump up the price to $96 a month, but even that’s a great deal compared to paying for everything separately. Unfortunately, Max has an additional 4K tier that’s not available here if you go through this bundle.

Many people have streaming services on top of a live TV service, so being able to bundle them all together like this is a nice thing. You can also do add-ons like Max for an added fee, but Hulu cuts out the middle man by including them all in the same package.

Aside from the additional streaming services, there’s a lot in common with Hulu and YouTube. Both services have unlimited DVR, the same price, and largely the same selection of channels. Neither of them have access to regional sports, something that Fubo has over both of them. The main appeal, at least to me, is these streaming services. If you plan on subscribing to them on top of having live TV, it seems like Hulu + Live TV should be very high up on your list. I understand not wanting to leave behind the familiarity of YouTube TV or whatever else you’re using, but not doing that would be spending a lot of unnecessary money when you don’t have to. The choice is ultimately yours, but I know I’d give Hulu a recommendation based on this one thing.

Will Disney’s acquisition of Fubo TV make streaming worse?

When it comes to media mergers and acquisitions, the end result is typically bad for the consumer. When Warner Bros. Discovery dissolved its individual business segments and streamers to create Max, prices rose, content disappeared, and subscribers were left disappointed with a franken-product that was far, far less than the sum of its parts (RIP HBO Go). It’s hard not to feel a little similar about today’s acquisition of Fubo TV by Disney. While the companies will operate independently for now, it’s not hard to imagine a future where Fubo TV, Hulu with Live TV, ESPN+ and Disney+ all combine to become one product, similar to Max, which will naturally be insanely expensive and only have about a third of what you want to watch at any given time. The only silver lining here is for sports fans, who may just get their wish for kitchen-sink sports streamer Venu, which has been cleared to move forward that Fubo TV’s lawsuit has effectively ended. You can read more about that at the link,

With so much value, why isn’t everyone picking Hulu?

It’s not a perfect service

Hulu streamer rendered on a TV in the background.

Hulu / Pocket-lint

With these streaming services included in the bundle, it’s hard to imagine everyone not flocking over to sign up. The truth of the matter is there’s a bit more that goes into the decision. Having Disney+ or Hulu aren’t priorities for a lot of people. If you don’t like Star Wars or Marvel shows, it’s easy to skip Disney+ as that’s largely what makes up the majority of the service. For Hulu, there’s some quality stuff there with The Bear and Shogun, but a lot of people might be fine just subscribing for a month, binging a show, and then leaving it behind.

Another thing worth mentioning is the user interface. In my case, both Fubo and YouTube TV were highly intuitive, and a big part of that is that both apps are designed with live viewing in mind. Hulu + Live TV adds a live section to the regular Hulu app, so it’s basically the same thing as navigating through Hulu. This leads to a less-than-intuitive way to find the guide and other live channels.

You get used to the clunkiness after a while, but I thought it was a strange decision to not have it be standalone and easy to use like the option choices are. Aside from that, Hulu + Live TV is a fine service that works much like you’d expect from a major player in the market. It’ll be interesting to see what changes, if anything, once Fubo joins the Disney umbrella.

UK TV streaming services apps on iPad screen-1

There’s only one streaming bundle that’s actually worth paying for

It’s hard to find something better than this.

There are ways to get discounted streaming services

Hulu isn’t your only choice

Something I’m not happy about is the rise of ad-supported plans being pushed as the best value options. With many features like 4K and Dolby Atmos for some services being locked behind the most expensive tier, many people have started to consider ads again. When that’s coupled with constantly rising costs, it’s become more cost-efficient to cancel services or bundle where you can.

This is what makes Hulu + Live TV one of the best bundles on the market, but if you don’t need live TV at all, you can still save a lot of cash by bundling things together. One of the most underrated bundles is the one that bundles Hulu, Max, and Disney+ together for $30 without ads. It’s really tough to beat that type of value, and the price drops to $17 for all three if you opt for ads.

Rising costs force people to look for deals, and fortunately, there are quite a few out there if you’re willing to do some research. Why Max and Disney+, two rival companies, teamed up for a bundle is beyond me, but I’m glad the option is there. These choices don’t apply to all streaming services, sadly, but if you want to keep up with the latest shows and movies from Disney and Warner Bros., this bundle is as good as any.