Hulu Live TV subscribers have started receiving emails advising them of an upcoming price increase for their live TV package. Firstly, yes, the cost of Hulu Live TV is going up in a few weeks for some plans. Secondly, you don’t have to pay the higher price if you don’t want to but you may see some changes to your package.
A few months ago, Disney announced a number of price adjustments to its various services. The cost of Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Basic Hulu were all going up. Since then, the price increases for ESPN Plus and basic Hulu have taken effect. The last of this round of price increases is for Disney Plus, and that increase is due to take place on December 8th, 2022.
This is also the same day the changes to Hulu Live TV take effect as they are directly related to the Disney Plus price increase, as we explained in this article back in August. Essentially, those on the current Hulu Live TV plan with ad-free Disney Plus will see the cost of their subscription go up from $69.99 to $74.99 per month – an increase of $5 each month.
For those currently signed up to the Hulu Live TV plan with ad-free Disney Plus and ad-free Hulu, the cost of the subscription will increase from $75.99 per month to $82.99 per month – an increase of $7 each month. Once again, both of these price increases will automatically take effect starting on December 8th, 2022.
You can still pay $69.99 if you want
What’s important to note here is that Hulu Live TV is not increasing the price of its basic plan, it is just changing what’s included with the plan. While existing subscribers currently get ad-free Disney Plus along with ESPN (with ads) and basic Hulu (with ads) for $69.99 per month, the new $69.99 plan will offer Disney Plus (with ads), ESPN (with ads) and basic Hulu (with ads) after December 8th. As the price of the base plan is not increasing, anyone who doesn’t want to pay $74.99 (or $82.99) per month can simply switch to the cheapest plan.
| Hulu Live TV with | Price | Dec. 8 |
|---|---|---|
| ad-supported Disney+ | N/A | $69.99 |
| ad-free Disney+* | $69.99 | $74.99 |
| ad-free Disney+, ad-free Hulu | $75.99 | $82.99 |
Of course, it is important to be aware that switching to the new $69.99 per month plan will change an aspect of the service. For those facing an increase to $74.99 per month, they will be losing access to ad-free Disney Plus. For those facing the $82.99 per month charge, they will lose access to both ad-free Disney Plus and ad-free Hulu. Neither plan loses access to these additional subscriptions in general, it is just they are replaced with ad-supported versions instead.
For those facing the $74.99 per month price, this decision is one to consider carefully. Starting from December 8th, Hulu will no longer offer a live TV plan with ad-free Disney and ad-supported ESPN Plus/Hulu, as it is being replaced by the new $69.99 per month plan. Right now, existing subscribers do have the option to remain on that plan, albeit at a higher cost each month. If they switch to the new $69.99 per month (with ad-supported Disney Plus) plan, they won’t be able to switch back again after Dec. 8. If the additional $5 is worth paying to keep access to ad-free Disney Plus, then it is important to not switch to the cheaper plan.
For those facing the $82.99 per month charge, things are much more straightforward. They can either pay the higher $82.99 per month rate and see no changes to their plan, or downgrade to the $69.99 per month plan and sit through ads when watching anything from the basic Hulu and Disney Plus libraries. Of course, they could also change to the current $69.99 per month plan before Dec. 8, and only pay $74.99 per month once the price increase takes effect, but they will still lose access to ad-free Hulu.
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