Hulu Just Raised Live TV Plan's Price Again

Disney's Hulu with Live TV is about to become the most expensive live streaming television [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Disney's Hulu with Live TV is about to become the most expensive live streaming television service. The company told subscribers on Monday they will be paying $71 a month for the most expensive Hulu plan, beginning on Dec. 18, a year after a previous price hike. That is a $6 price jump over the previous $64.99 per month cost. Subscribers who pay for the lower-cost version that includes commercials will now pay $64.99, a $10 price hike. The news follows Netflix's most recent price hike and caused just as much outrage on social media.

Hulu's price hike makes it more expensive than any other option for cord-cutters, notes USA Today. None of the other services offered ad-supported versions. Google's YouTube TV charges $65 a month, while AT&T's plans begin at $55. T-Mobile's TVision costs $40 a month, Sling starts at $30 and Philo is available for $20. Hulu with Live TV does include the same catalog of the content offered basic Hulu subscriptions without the live television programming.

Hulu With Live TV and YouTube TV were marketed as cost-effective alternatives to cable or satellite subscriptions. They are both still cheaper, but some Twitter users pointed out that they are beginning to catch up. After all, consumers still need to buy internet service to access the streaming platforms. According to Consumer Reports, the average monthly price for a cable bill in 2019 was $217.42, including internet service.

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Netflix announced its own price jump in late October. The streaming giant's standard plan went increased $1 to $13.99 per month, while the premium service jumped $2 to $17.99 per month. Only the basic $8.99 per month plan, which only supports 480p resolution, escaped without a price jump. The premium plan offers 4K resolution and HDR and allows subscribers to watch content on up to two screens at a time.

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"We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we're committed to delivering an even better experience for our members," Netflix said in a statement after the price hike was announced. "We're updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films — in addition to our great fall lineup. As always we offer a range of plans so that people can pick a price that works best for their budget."

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Many Hulu users were shocked to see the company would increase prices during the coronavirus pandemic and the poor economy. "I was just debating getting rid of Hulu live now that the election is over. That made it easy. Done and done," one person wrote.

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Some theorized that Hulu's price jump had to do with new content. The streamer just released the first trailer for 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez, a documentary about rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who was released from prison in April after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery and seven other charges.

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Many Twitter users outlined their budgets for streaming and television and decided the cost was just too much. "I have had @Hulu for 2 years and the price has gone from $45 to $65 in that time," one person wrote. "That's over 40% increase in 2 years and that is unacceptable. We need more competition for live streaming TV. Plus the service is not great and most of the channels are garbage."

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Others compared the price increases for streaming platforms to their experiences with the high cost of cable. One person wrote that they considered dropping cable and switching to a service like Hulu, but is deciding otherwise. "Starting prices: Hulu = $65, YouTube = $65, FubuTv = $59.99, Sling = $30, Philo = $20, vs basic cable with internet for Charter/Spectrum $49.99, AT&T = $59.99, Verizon = $39.99... WHAT'S YOUR POISON?" another person wrote.

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