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Hulu + Live TV is one of several streaming services that plan to raise prices as 2022 draws to a close.
But unlike the forced price hikes of some competitors, there is a way that Hulu + Live TV customers can avoid paying more – at least for now.
How to Avoid the Coming Hulu + Live TV Price Increases
If you’re a Hulu + Live TV customer, you’ve probably received an app or email notification recently that the price of your service will increase in December 2022.
This actually follows price increases announced for Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ in August.
If you pay for the basic Hulu + Live TV package, which includes the Disney Bundle, you’ve probably been notified that the price will change from $69.99 to $74.99.
While that’s true, there is a way you can save your $69.99 monthly bill under the new pricing model, at least temporarily.
If you’re willing to put up with ads and your Disney+ experience, you can move to ad-supported Disney+ on your wallet and save $69.99 a month.
Here’s a look at the options you may have under the new pricing policy.
| Kind of Community | Current prices | New prices |
| Hulu + Live TV channels, Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (on demand, with ads), ESPN+ (with ads) | N/A | $69.99 |
| Hulu + live TV channels, Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (on-demand, with ads), ESPN+ (with ads) | $69.99 | $74.99 |
| Hulu + Live TV Channels, Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (on-demand, no ads), ESPN+ (with ads) | $74.99 | $82.99 |
Note that basic subscribers actually pay for the second option on that list. The first option, which sells for $69.99, is the “new” subscription level. To access it, you’ll need to log in using your account menu in the Hulu app or website.
If you do not take action, you will keep the second option on the list and will be charged the increased rate of $74.99 starting in December.
Disney + is the main reason for the price increase
You may be wondering why another price increase is happening for the Hulu + Live TV service. After all, it wasn’t long ago that the service raised its price from $64.99.
The short answer is: Disney+ is raising prices, so your Hulu+ Live TV price should go up, too.
But let’s go deeper.
Do you remember when Hulu + Live TV decided to give you the Disney Bundle as part of your live TV subscription when they raised the prices (from $64.99 to $69.99 per month for the base package)? At the time, that felt like value because you were effectively getting Disney+ ($8 a month ad) and ESPN+ ($10 a month) added to your subscription for an extra $5 a month.
But now that Disney+ is launching an ad-supported service and raising the prices of the ad-free experience, Hulu’s live TV service that includes the bundle is following suit.
All that said, you’re still getting a pretty good deal on Hulu’s live service and the three streaming services included in the Disney Bundle.
The Disney Bundle as a standalone product will cost at least $13 per month starting in December. So even if you were paying the old price of $64.99 for Hulu’s TV service, you’ll have to pay more per month if you want to sign up for both separately.
Of course, you don’t get that option anymore. But it’s still cheaper than paying for live TV from a competitor like YouTube TV or fuboTV and then buying the Disney Bundle separately.
Final Thoughts
Inflation has been a constant factor in the dynamic TV market. It was never an issue to be prices will increase for your service; it was just a question when and how much.
This is especially true in the broadcast television sector, which has many competitors trying not only to advise you to cut the cord from your cable company but also to opt for other live streaming options.
Hulu isn’t alone in raising prices.
YouTube TV now costs $65 a month after promising some customers $35 for a long time a few years ago. Even premium streaming services like Sling have raised prices, from $20 a month to as much as $40 for a basic package, with gradual increases over the years.
This may sound like corporate greed to some, but each of these services has expensive broadcasting rights that they must pay to ensure they have the channels you want to watch.
Many of them claim that they keep subscription prices low as a way to gain subscribers and carve out a share in the cord-cutting market. And as those bills come in for these broadcasting rights, we see prices go up.
Will you pay the new prices for Hulu + Live TV? We’d love to hear about your plan for the Clark.com community.
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