Hulu+hululivetv
What You Need To Know
Hulu offers just one live TV package. It costs $64.99 a month and includes dozens of channels and access to the provider’s entire streaming library. For an additional $5.99 per month, you can watch ad-free.
What makes pay-TV alternatives like HULU.COM/ACTIVATE unique is that there’s no cable box required and no contracts: You can cancel anytime.
Hulu Live is competing with Sling TV, YouTube TV and others. I’ve tested out Hulu with Live TV a handful of times since the service launched in May 2017.
Read on for details about the Hulu + Live TV streaming experience and my personal review!
What Channels Do You Get With Hulu + Live TV?
The channel lineup is probably the most important factor when choosing a live TV streaming service. A Hulu Live subscription comes with more than 65 channels, but local stations and regional sports networks will vary by location.
You can use the chart below to search for networks that are included in the base plan.
Hulu + Live TV Channel List
Hulu + Live TV
A&E
ABC
ABC News Live
ACC Network (ACCN)
Adult Swim
Animal Planet
Big Ten Network (BTN)
Bloomberg
Boomerang
Bravo
Cartoon Network
CBS
CBSN
CBS Sports Network
Cheddar
CNBC
CNN
CNN International
Cozi TV
CW
Dabl
Discovery Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Junior
Disney XD
E!
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPN College Extra
ESPNews
ESPNU
Food Network
FOX
Fox Business Network
Fox News Channel
Fox Sports 1 (FS1)
Fox Sports 2 (FS2)
Freeform
FX
FXM
FXX
FYI
Golf Channel
HGTV
History Channel
HLN
Investigation Discovery (ID)
Lifetime
Lifetime Movie Network (LMN)
MotorTrend
MSNBC
National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild
NBC
NBCSN
Olympic Channel
Oxygen
Pop
QVC
SEC Network
Smithsonian Channel
Start TV
SYFY
TBS
TCM (Turner Classic Movies)
Telemundo
TLC
TNT
Travel Channel
truTV
Universal Kids
USA
Vice
WGN America
Channel Add-Ons
Add-on premium channels: Cinemax, HBO Max, Showtime, STARZ
Entertainment add-on ($7.99/month): DIY, Cooking Channel, Science Channel, CNBC World and more
Español add-on ($4.99/month): ESPN Deportes, NBC Universo, CNN En Español, History Channel En Español and more
Does Hulu With Live TV Include DVR?
Like many of its competitors, Hulu lets you record your favorite live TV shows to watch later. You get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage with the base subscription, but that doesn’t come with the ability to fast forward through commercials.
If you want that feature, Hulu says you can pay an extra $9.99 per month and get 200 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Hulu helps users manage their DVRs by showing the amount of storage left. You can also choose to record all future aired broadcasts (including reruns) or only new episodes.
What Equipment Do I Need to Get Started?
Hulu with Live TV requires a high-speed internet connection. The service works with affordable streaming media players including Roku Express, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Google Chromecast.
Here’s a list of the devices that Hulu supports, according to its website:
Android phones and tablets
Android TV
Apple TV (4th gen or later)
Chromecast
Fire tablets
Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
iPhones and iPads
LG TV (select models)
Mac or PC browser
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
Samsung TV (select models)
Xbox 360 and Xbox One
Can I Watch Hulu With Live TV on Multiple Devices at the Same Time?
You’re only allowed to watch on up to two screens at a time with your Hulu subscription, but you can upgrade to unlimited screens for an extra $9.99 a month.
That allows everyone in your house to stream at the same time, plus you can watch up to three screens when you’re on the go.
You can’t access Hulu on a living room device outside of your home network, according to Hulu’s FAQ page. The live TV service is for use by a single household, so sharing a subscription is not allowed.
A Few Thoughts About Hulu + Live TV
When I talk to people about cable and satellite TV alternatives, many of them say they would like to pick and choose the channels they want instead of paying for a bundle.
But the most popular streaming options are still offering bundles, so finding the right mix of channels for your family is key.
Does Hulu with Live TV have the best channel lineup? That’s going to depend on your household’s TV viewing habits. I’ve put together a chart to help you see what the leading streaming services offer.