Ever sinceYouTube TVraised 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 whileI liked it, I don’t know if it’ll be enough to fully convert somebodyover from YouTube TV.
Hulu With Live TV
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
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?
With so much value, why isn’t everyone picking Hulu?
It’s not a perfect service
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.
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 may.
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 may 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.
I don’t pay for streaming thanks to this food delivery app trick
You might have some perks you aren’t aware of.
