How to Watch Live TV on Hulu and Get Your TV and Movie Fix All Year Long

Amber Dowling
·5 min read


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These days it seems like there are more TV viewing options than ever. Well, that’s because there are. On top of regular old network TV, there is a growing number of streaming services, a ton of OTT (over-the-top) network offerings (think YouTube TV) and even social media platforms, like TikTok, vying for our attention. Naturally, so many options can sometimes make it a little hard to focus.

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Thankfully, that’s where watching live TV on Hulu comes in handy. When you think about it, Hulu + Live TV is one heck of a deal as it includes all of the sports, scripted shows, reality offerings and originals you could pretty much want in a service. Plus, it’s available at a fairly reasonable price, which means you can still add on things like HBO Max or Peacock if there are certain shows or events you just can’t miss.

Interested in learning more? Read on to find out how to watch live TV on Hulu and see everything this killer plan has to offer.

What Does Hulu + Live TV Include?

Hulu is already a big player in terms of its impressive on-demand library of shows and movies, but with Hulu + Live TV, you’ll also get access to more than 80 channels — including the major networks. That means you can watch everything from sports and live events to buzzy series when they debut and even specialty cable content like Food Network, Discovery, Comedy Central and History.

That’s not all you get, though. A monthly subscription also comes with access to Disney+ and ESPN+.

How Much Is Hulu + Live TV?

There are a few options when it comes to subscribing to Hulu + Live TV. If you don’t mind watching ads, go for the basic option, which is $69.99 per month. If ads really aren’t your thing, you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription at $74.99 per month.


Buy: Subscribe to Hulu + Live TV $69.99 per month

If you want more upgrades, keep reading to see how you can further customize Hulu + Live TV below.

Does Hulu + Live TV Come With Any Special Features?

One of the reasons we used to keep a cable subscription was so we could record shows whenever we needed to and catch them later. Thanks to emerging technology, however, we no longer need an actual DVR box in order to record and save our favorite shows and events. Like some of its competitors, Hulu + Live TV offers unlimited cloud DVR at no extra cost, which may be the best bonus of all. So if you came here wondering how to watch live TV on Hulu, this is the section for you.

Unfortunately, that content will only stay in the cloud for up to nine months, but that should hopefully give you plenty of time to binge-watch and catch up. Meanwhile, the playback options include fast-forwarding and rewind, and you can stream content on two screens simultaneously. If you’d like to upgrade for $10 a month you can actually watch content on unlimited screens, so long as the connected devices are all set up on whichever WiFi network you’ve designated as the home network. With that option, you can stream on up to three mobile devices outside of that designated WiFi as well.

What Add-Ons Can You Get With Hulu + Live TV?

If 80-plus channels, not to mention Disney+ (with all its Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic Content) and ESPN+ aren’t quite satiating all of your TV-viewing needs, there are plenty of other channels you can also add on with a Hulu + Live TV subscription.

If you want prestige content, consider adding the following:

  • HBO Max for $14.99 per month

  • Showtime for $10.99 per month

  • Cinemax for $9.99 per month

  • Starz for $8.99 per month

If you’re looking for more variety from your Hulu + Live TV subscription, there are three other packages you can add on: Entertainment, Español and Sports.

Entertainment, for $7.99 a month, also gives you access to:

  • American Heroes Channel

  • BET Her

  • CNBC World

  • Cooking Channel

  • Crime + Investigation

  • Destination America

  • Discovery Family

  • Discovery Life

  • Great American Country

  • Magnolia Network

  • Military History Channel

  • MTV2

  • MTV Classic

  • Nick Toons

  • Science

  • Teen Nick

Español, for $4.99 a month, also gives you access to:

  • CNN en Español

  • Discovery en Español

  • Discovery Familia

  • ESPN Deportes

  • Fox Deportes

  • History Channel en Español

  • Universo

Sports, for $9.99 per month, also gives you access to:

  • MAVTV

  • TVG/TVG2

  • Outdoor Channel

  • Sportsman Channel

  • NFL Red Zone

What About Original Content on Hulu + Live TV?

One of the growing appeals of subscribing to Hulu is its impressive slate of original shows and movies. Historically those have included offerings like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Great, not to mention limited series like The Act and movies like Run and Palm Springs. And let’s not forget Only Murders in the Building, which somehow connected Selena Gomez with Steve Martin and Martin Short for a hilarious caper. (Watch for Season 2 this summer!)

The content doesn’t stop there, though. Recently the service unveiled The Dropout, a limited series starring Amanda Seyfried that’s based on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ life. It also debuted The Girl From Plainville (based on the Michelle Carter case), Amy Schumer’s latest series Life & Beth, the Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas movie Deep Water and a whole new iteration of The Kardashians.

In May, there are plenty more originals from Hulu to look forward to, including Candy, the dramatized story of murderer Candy Montgomery, the Joe Alwyn-starring Conversations With Friends and the dramatic miniseries Pistol, which revolves around Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones (played by Toby Wallace).

The Bottom Line on Watching Live TV on Hulu

We do wish the basic subscription included more than two screens, although we’re big fans of the unlimited Cloud DVR option, which gives you just as much flexibility as a traditional DVR box. At the end of the day, if you’ve cut the cable but still want access to a ton of TV channels, as well as Disney+, ESPN+ and potentially a few other prestige channels in one affordable bill, Hulu + Live TV is a valid option that works with a variety of smart TVs and media players.


Buy: Subscribe to Hulu + Live TV $69.99 per month

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