Hulu + Live TV is one of the most popular cable alternatives in the U.S., pairing 95+ live channels with Disney+, ESPN, and the full Hulu on-demand library — all in one monthly bill. But it also has a shorter stream limit than YouTube TV, an add-on economy that raises the real price fast, and channels it flat-out doesn’t carry. Here’s what you actually need to know.
These are the questions people actually search before cutting the cord. No filler. Just the honest answers.
More than the name suggests. At $89.99 per month with the ad-supported tier, you receive 95+ live channels covering sports, news, and entertainment; the full Hulu on-demand streaming library; Disney+ (with ads); ESPN Select — which includes live college sports, NHL, soccer, and more; unlimited cloud DVR storage with recordings kept nine months; and up to two simultaneous streams. The ad-free version runs $99.99 per month and removes ads from the Hulu and Disney+ on-demand libraries, though live TV and live sports will still have ads on both tiers — that’s standard across every live TV streaming service, not a quirk of Hulu’s plans.
Because of taxes, regional fees, and add-ons — the same game cable companies played for decades. The base $89.99 is before applicable local taxes and broadcast TV fees, which vary by zip code but routinely add $5–$20 to monthly bills. If you add the Unlimited Screens upgrade ($9.99/month) to get more than two simultaneous streams, that’s another $10. Add premium channels like Max ($16.99) or Paramount+ with SHOWTIME ($12.99) and the cost climbs further. For a family that needs unlimited screens and one premium channel, the real monthly total can easily land between $115 and $135. Know what you’re adding before you start clicking.
This is the question most review sites bury. Hulu + Live TV does not carry the AMC Networks family — that means no AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, or WE tv. If The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul reruns, or anything on BBC America matters to your household, Hulu’s lineup has a real hole. It also carries limited regional sports networks — if you need a local RSN to watch your MLB, NBA, or NHL team’s games, confirm your market before subscribing. PBS is not included as a live feed. NBA TV and NHL Network are also absent. These aren’t obscure channels — AMC in particular is a gap that frustrates a meaningful number of subscribers who discover it after signing up.
Historically, Hulu offered a three-day free trial on some plans. Whether a trial is currently available changes frequently — Hulu adjusts these promotions regularly. Check hulu.com/live-tv directly for the current offer when you’re ready to sign up, as the presence or absence of a trial window can shift month to month. What you can always do is cancel before the first billing cycle if you sign up during a promotional period. If no trial is offered, there’s no commitment beyond the first month — Hulu + Live TV is a no-contract service you can cancel at any time.
The base plan — either ad-supported or ad-free — allows two simultaneous streams. That covers one TV and one phone, or two TVs, at the same moment. For many households that’s enough, but families with three or four people who all want to watch different things at once will hit that wall. The solution is the Unlimited Screens add-on at $9.99/month, which removes the limit entirely on your home Wi-Fi network and allows up to three streams outside the home when traveling. If you’re comparing to YouTube TV, note that YouTube TV includes three streams by default without a separate add-on — that difference alone may tip the decision for larger households.
In October 2025, Disney merged its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo, creating the sixth-largest pay-TV provider in the United States with approximately 6 million combined subscribers. Disney owns roughly 70% of the combined entity. For Hulu + Live TV subscribers, nothing about your day-to-day experience changed — same app, same channels, same pricing. Hulu and Fubo continue as separate services with their own apps. The merger is a corporate ownership change, not a product change. The practical upside over time may be expanded sports rights as the two companies’ coverage portfolios merge, but current subscribers don’t need to take any action.
Yes — and this is one of Hulu + Live TV’s genuinely useful features that most people don’t know about. You can pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks. During a pause, you’re not charged, your profiles are preserved, your watch history stays intact, and your DVR recordings remain stored. For sports fans, this means you can pause during the off-season and restart when your league resumes without losing any saved content or account settings. To pause: go to your Account page, select Manage Plan, and choose Pause Subscription. Resume at any time from the same page.
For most households, the honest answer is yes — with specific caveats. Hulu + Live TV at $89.99 per month, before add-ons, delivers a channel lineup that rivals basic cable while bundling three streaming services (Hulu, Disney+, ESPN) that would cost over $30/month separately. There’s no equipment rental fee, no installation appointment, and no two-year contract. The real comparison depends on what your cable bill actually covers. If you pay $120–$180/month for cable plus streaming subscriptions, switching to Hulu + Live TV likely saves money. If you rely on AMC, certain regional sports networks, or channels that simply aren’t in Hulu’s lineup, the switch has gaps that matter. Check the channel list against your current must-haves before cancelling cable.
Three options, same live channel lineup. The differences are about ads on on-demand content, and whether you want the full Disney bundle attached. Most subscribers choose the base $89.99 plan — the no-ads upgrade for on-demand viewing costs $10 more and does not affect live TV ad breaks.
The Live TV Only plan at $88.99 per month saves exactly one dollar over the full bundle at $89.99 — while removing Disney+, ESPN Select, and the entire Hulu on-demand library. Those three services would cost more than $25 per month if subscribed to separately. The only reason to choose the Live TV Only plan is if you have a specific policy reason to avoid on-demand content — perhaps a parental control situation or a workplace restriction. For everyone else, the $89.99 bundle is the obvious choice.
Channel availability varies by your zip code for local stations. The national channel count sits above 95 networks. Here’s how the lineup breaks down by category — and what’s missing.
Local affiliates are one of Hulu + Live TV’s strongest suits. ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, and Telemundo are available live in more than 200 markets. This means you get your local evening news, primetime shows as they air, NFL games on CBS and FOX, and any local programming specific to your area. Enter your zip code at hulu.com before subscribing to confirm which local affiliates are live in your market — most major cities have full coverage, but smaller markets occasionally have gaps. PBS is not included as a live feed in the base plan.
Hulu + Live TV’s sports coverage is broad at the national level. The ESPN family (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes), FOX Sports 1 and 2, TNT for NBA games, the Golf Channel, History (for fights), MLB Network, and NFL Network are all included. ESPN Select is also bundled with every Live TV plan, adding college sports, NHL regular-season games, soccer, and more as an on-demand and streaming layer on top of the live channels. What’s missing: NBA TV and NHL Network are not in the base lineup, and regional sports networks for most local teams are absent. Check your team’s RSN status at hulu.com/live-tv before switching if local team games are your priority.
The news lineup is one of the most comprehensive in any live TV streaming service. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox Business, HLN, ABC News Live, CBS News, NBC News Now, NewsNation, Newsmax, and Live Now from FOX are all included. MS NOW (formerly MSNBC, rebranded in late 2025 after the network was spun off from NBCUniversal) continues to be carried under its new name. For news-heavy households replacing a cable package, Hulu’s news lineup is complete — you’re not giving anything up compared to traditional cable on the news front.
The entertainment lineup covers most major cable staples. A&E, History Channel, Lifetime, LMN — the A&E Networks family — are included, which is a differentiator over YouTube TV. FX, FXX, TBS, TNT, USA Network, Bravo, HGTV, Food Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and more are all in the base plan. The notable absence is AMC and the AMC Networks family — AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, and WE tv are not available on Hulu + Live TV. If you watch The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, or anything on IFC regularly, that’s a real gap.
Being specific about this matters more than most reviews acknowledge. Here is exactly what’s absent from the base lineup:
- AMC Networks family: AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv — if The Walking Dead franchise, Orphan Black, or AMC prestige drama matters, there’s no work-around inside Hulu + Live TV.
- NBA TV and NHL Network: League games still appear on ESPN, TNT, and local channels, but dedicated league networks are not in the lineup.
- Most regional sports networks (RSNs): Local team coverage for most MLB, NBA, and NHL teams is on RSNs that Hulu doesn’t carry. Fubo is the better choice if RSN coverage is essential.
- PBS live feed: Not included, though some PBS content is available on-demand and through the free PBS Video app.
- MGM+: Not available as a premium add-on through Hulu + Live TV, unlike some competitors.
Hulu’s add-on marketplace lets you customize your subscription — but every addition raises your monthly total. Here’s what each one costs and who actually needs it.
The base plan’s two-stream limit is the most common frustration among Hulu + Live TV subscribers. The Unlimited Screens add-on removes that ceiling entirely on your home Wi-Fi network, allowing everyone in the household to watch simultaneously without anyone getting kicked off. It also allows up to three concurrent streams when watching outside the home on mobile devices. For any household with three or more regular viewers — or parents and teenagers who inevitably want to watch different things at the same time — this add-on is effectively mandatory. At $9.99/month it raises the base plan total to $99.98/month before taxes.
Adds a collection of live sports channels beyond what’s in the base lineup: Golf Channel (already base in some markets), Tennis Channel, FanDuel Racing, Racer Network, Outdoor Channel, and Sportsman Channel. For most mainstream sports fans, the base plan already covers what matters — NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL games appear on ESPN, TNT, FOX, CBS, and NBC. The Sports Add-on fills niche categories. If you’re specifically a tennis devotee or follow motorsports closely, it’s worth it. Otherwise, the overlap with what the base plan already covers is significant.
Adds a set of additional channels including EPIX, Crime + Investigation, and a selection of lifestyle and documentary networks not in the base package. This add-on’s value is modest for most subscribers — the base plan already carries the major entertainment networks. Worth considering only if there’s a specific network in the add-on bundle you watch regularly. Before purchasing, check exactly which channels the current Entertainment Add-on includes at hulu.com, as the specific lineup can adjust over time.
Hulu functions as a marketplace for premium channel subscriptions, letting you add them to your existing bill without managing multiple separate accounts. Max (formerly HBO Max) runs $16.99/month. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME costs $12.99/month. STARZ is $10.99/month. Cinemax runs $9.99/month. Billing everything through Hulu’s single monthly invoice is genuinely convenient — but always compare the price against subscribing directly to each service, as promotional discounts are sometimes only available on the standalone app rather than through a bundle intermediary.
Adds dedicated Spanish-language channels beyond the Telemundo local affiliate included in the base plan. For Spanish-speaking households or households with bilingual viewers, this is one of the most cost-efficient add-ons in Hulu’s marketplace at $4.99 per month. The Español Add-on brings in channels covering Spanish-language news, sports, novelas, and entertainment programming not covered by the base Telemundo inclusion.
How Hulu + Live TV stacks up against YouTube TV, Sling TV, Fubo, Philo, and DirecTV Stream — the five services most people consider alongside it.
| Service | Starting Price | Live Channels | Simultaneous Streams | Cloud DVR | Disney Bundle | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | $89.99/mo | 95+ | 2 (unlimited: +$9.99) | Unlimited · 9 months | ✅ Included | Families · on-demand + live combo |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo | 100+ | 3 streams base plan | Unlimited · 9 months | ❌ Not included | Best overall · most households |
| Sling TV (Orange + Blue) | $45.99/mo | 50+ | 3 (Orange: 1 only) | 50 hrs · paid upgrade | ❌ Not included | Budget cord-cutters |
| Fubo | $84.99/mo | 100+ | 10 streams | Unlimited · 9 months | ❌ Not included | Sports-first · regional sports networks |
| DirecTV Stream | $79.99/mo | 75+ | Unlimited home | Unlimited storage | ❌ Not included | Traditional cable replacement |
| Philo | $25/mo | 70+ | 3 streams | Unlimited · 1 year | ❌ Not included | Entertainment only · no sports/news |
These two services are the most direct competitors at the top of the market. YouTube TV is cheaper by $7/month, includes three simultaneous streams by default (versus Hulu’s two), and has a slightly broader base channel count. Hulu + Live TV wins on bundle value — if you want Disney+ and Hulu on-demand in the same subscription, the effective savings over subscribing separately can be $20+ per month. The practical decision: choose YouTube TV if you’re three people who all watch live TV simultaneously; choose Hulu + Live TV if you have children (Disney+), regularly watch on-demand content, or already pay for Hulu separately and want to consolidate.
Hulu + Live TV makes a compelling case for families. The bundle includes Disney+ for the kids’ programming, the full Hulu library for adults, ESPN for sports, and 95+ live channels for news and entertainment — all under one subscription at $89.99 per month. The kids’ profiles in both Hulu and Disney+ restrict content to age-appropriate material. The main thing to check: if your household has three or more people who regularly watch different things at the same time, add the Unlimited Screens add-on at $9.99/month immediately — the base two-stream limit will cause friction in a multi-kid household within the first week. At $99.98/month with the Unlimited Screens add-on, you’re still paying less than most cable bills while getting three separate streaming services bundled in.
Hulu + Live TV covers the major national sports broadcasts well — NFL games on CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN; NBA on TNT and ESPN; MLB on ESPN and FOX; NHL on TNT and ESPN; college football across the ESPN family. ESPN Select is also bundled in, adding further live sports depth. The gaps that matter most to sports fans are regional sports networks. If you follow a local MLB, NBA, or NHL team and their games regularly air on a regional sports network (like Bally Sports, SportsNet, or a regional FOX Sports affiliate), check whether that specific RSN is available in your zip code before cancelling cable. In many markets it’s simply not on Hulu. Fubo is the better choice if RSN access is non-negotiable for your team.
Stop before you subscribe. AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, and WE tv are not available on Hulu + Live TV. There is no add-on that brings them in. If your household watches The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead, Interview with the Vampire, or any AMC original series, Hulu + Live TV cannot replace those programs. Alternatives: Philo and Sling TV both carry the AMC Networks family. YouTube TV does not carry AMC either. If AMC is on your must-have list, your realistic live TV streaming options are Sling TV or Philo — both carry it, and Philo at $25/month is dramatically cheaper if you primarily want entertainment channels without sports.
Hulu + Live TV is not the budget-friendly option in the live TV streaming market — that’s Sling TV at $45.99 or Philo at $25. At $89.99, Hulu’s starting price is in the premium tier alongside YouTube TV. What it offers at that price is genuine: three streaming services bundled together with a comprehensive live channel lineup. The financial case depends on what you’d otherwise pay separately. If you subscribe to Disney+ ($7.99/month with ads) and Hulu ($7.99/month with ads) separately, that’s already $16/month — which means the actual cost of adding 95+ live channels and ESPN Select to what you’re already paying works out to about $74/month of new spend. For that framing, the value proposition is reasonable for anyone who watches live TV regularly.
The two-stream base plan is completely fine for a single-viewer household — that limit won’t affect you at all. The question is whether $89.99/month is justified for solo viewing. If you’re currently paying for cable plus Hulu and Disney+ separately, the switch likely saves money. If you don’t already subscribe to Hulu or Disney+ and primarily want live news and a handful of cable channels, Sling TV at $45.99 might serve you better — its Blue plan includes CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Bravo, Food Network, HGTV, and about 40 other channels at half the price. The Disney bundle value embedded in Hulu + Live TV is what pushes the price above $89/month, and if you don’t use Disney+ or Hulu on-demand, you’re paying for something you won’t use.
The decision comes down to four questions your household needs to answer honestly. First: do you want Disney+ included? If yes, Hulu wins on bundle value by a clear margin. Second: will three or more people watch live TV simultaneously? If yes, YouTube TV’s three built-in streams beat Hulu’s two-stream base (you’d need to pay Hulu $9.99 extra to match, erasing the price gap). Third: does your household currently pay for Hulu or Disney+ separately? If yes, folding that into Hulu + Live TV makes financial sense. Fourth: do you need AMC? Neither service carries it, but you should know this going in. No-Disney household watching three simultaneous streams: YouTube TV. Family that uses Disney+: Hulu + Live TV. That’s the honest breakdown.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Hulu + Live TV pricing, channel availability, add-on costs, and plan features are subject to change by The Walt Disney Company. Prices quoted reflect available information at time of writing and may not include applicable local taxes or broadcast surcharges. Regional channel availability varies by zip code — always verify your local channel lineup at hulu.com before subscribing. Simultaneous stream limits and DVR specifications are accurate as reported; confirm current terms at hulu.com/live-tv. This content is entirely original.