If you’re waffling on signing up for a Hulu subscription, the time is now in order to avoid the upcoming price hike. The cost to watch shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders In the Building, and The Kardashians as well as the upcoming Hellraiser movie is about to get a bit more expensive. On Monday, Oct. 10, Hulu is set to raise its prices across all of its subscription tiers, meaning subscribers can expect to shell out a few extra bucks every month to watch Hulu shows and movies.
Effective Monday, the monthly cost for both Hulu ad-supported subscriptions and Hulu ad-free subscriptions will increase by $1 and $2, respectively. This means that instead of shelling out $6.99 per month, or $69.99 a year, for ad-supported viewing, the subscription tier will cost $7.99 per month, or $79.99 a year. The ad-free tier, meanwhile, will jump from $12.99 per month to $14.99 per month, marking a $2 increase. The Hulu + Live TV streaming bundle is not affected by the cost increases and will remain at a price of $74.99 per month. The price hikes follow similar price increases the streamer put in place back in October 2021, when both subscription tiers rose in price by $1.
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The price hike marks just the latest increase in streaming subscription costs to hit consumers’ wallets. Back in January, Netflix increased the price of its subscription in both the United States and Canada by $1 to $2. In the U.S., the basic plan rose from $8.99 per month to $10 per month, the standard plan from $12.99 per month to $15.50 per month, and the premium plan from $18 to $20 per month. At the time, a Netflix spokesperson said, “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer a wide variety of quality entertainment options. As always we offer a range of plans so members can pick a price that works for their budget.” The streamer is set to introduce its first-ever ad-supported tier at a later time to appeal to those consumers hoping to save a few extra bucks each month.
With its upcoming price hikes, Hulu is now on par with competitors like Netflix andHBO Max, which costs $9.99 per month with ads or $14.99 per month without ads. Unfortunately, streamers should only expect the price increases to keep coming. Later this year, Hulu’s bundled options are also set to increase in price. The ad-free Disney+, Hulu with ads, and ESPN+ ill cost $14.99 instead of $13.99, though the price for ad-free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will remain at $19.99 per month. Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement when announcing the price hikes back in August, “with our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience.”
