My Hulu + Live TV Review (2026): Full Cable Replacement But Not Worth the Price

I was thrilled to write this Hulu Live TV review as the platform, on the surface, is a good fit for my family. My children enjoy the massive library of Disney content, my wife and I love some of Hulu's original content, and I’m an avid sports fan.

While a bit on the pricey side of the streaming space at $89.99 + tax, Hulu Live offers relative value for subscribers. While Hulu Live offers a live TV-only option, it’s a poor value; saving a mere $1 per month isn’t worth losing the entire Disney Bundle. If you’re like me and hate ads, the most expensive plan removes them from Hulu and Disney content for an extra $10 per month. Just remember, live TV always includes ads, so there’s no way around commercials there.

The Hulu Live TV channel list is exhaustive, and, thanks to the Disney bundle, you also receive access to original content and live sports. Hulu Live even includes 20+ Spanish networks. You can even select the Hulu + Live TV Español and Disney+ package for $29.99 per month if you only want Spanish channels. It’s cable-lite with no contracts, and you can cancel whenever you wish. Unfortunately, subscribers only receive two simultaneous screens. You must pay $10 per month to upgrade to more.

Hulu + Live TV has a simple-to-use app for smart TVs. Many well-known models let you download the app, or you can use a streaming dongle like a Fire device or a Roku stick to access content. During my testing of Hulu Live, I didn’t experience any outages or significant buffering issues. I used a Samsung TV, an Apple MacBook Pro, and multiple Google Pixel phones with multiple users in and outside my house.

Hulu Live’s app worked well for my needs, whether during the day or at night. I have a fiber-powered coaxial cable connection and 500Mbps speed from Cox Internet at home. I watched the Ohio vs. Miami of Ohio men’s basketball game, Seinfeld, and Survivor, all without issue. This aligns with my past experiences with the platform.

The Hulu Live app has a robust home page, and greets you with a clip of a show or movie it’s currently promoting. As you scroll, content is organized in rows like “Live Now” and “Newly Added TV”. Each option features a “View All” button that explores related content. Hulu Live breaks the guide into specific filters: Recent, Local, Channels (which lists all channels), Favorites, Sports, News, Movies, and Kids.

Hulu’s layout adapts slightly depending on your device:

• On a Computer: The main category list (Home, Live, Sports, etc.) sits at the top of the page.
• On a TV: These same navigation labels appear along the left side of the screen.

On a TV, push the down button on the Roku remote to bring up the guide. What you were watching continues to play in the background until you select another show. Clicking the back button on the Roku remote returns you to your former channel.

In comparison to other premium live TV services, like YouTube TV or Fubo, the platform is lacking. It’s not the most intuitive, especially when it comes to recording shows. If you want to record multiple episodes, it’s not very user-friendly.

Hulu Live offers fairly robust features. Users can create up to seven total profiles, which can be helpful for larger families. Each profile has its own personalized viewing history and customizations. If you have children, you can create a Kids profile to restrict mature content. You can stream Hulu Live on a wide variety of devices. Basically, anything that has a screen will support Hulu Live.

Like many other cable replacements, Hulu Live includes an unlimited DVR. Recordings expire after nine months. Hulu + Live TV allows for two simultaneous streams, which is fewer than YouTube TV or Fubo. If you want more streams, you must purchase the Unlimited Screens add-on for $9.99 per month. The add-on provides unlimited streams at home and three on the go.

Hulu Live’s DVR capabilities are lacking. Yes, the app offers unlimited DVR recordings, which is a helpful feature and reasonable to expect for the monthly price; however, the DVR is not user-friendly, especially compared to YouTube TV or Fubo.

If you’re like me, you want a seamless way to record a series. For example, I enjoy watching Get Up! during my morning workouts, but I don’t always catch it live.

While most streaming services allow you to choose your recording preferences directly from the live guide, Hulu Live has a catch: Clicking a show in the guide opens a preview box with options to go to the details page or record it. If you click it, the system defaults to record all new episodes. Unfortunately, that’s not clear to the user. In order to record all episodes, including reruns, you must select that within the program’s “Details” page.

For the price tag, it needs to be more intuitive. Worse yet, there’s no way to identify future recordings, so you’re relying on the hope that a show will record. To access recordings, select the “My Stuff” tab. You can fast-forward through commercials in recorded content and view a small picture-in-picture window to see exactly where you are in the program.

Hulu with Live TV has an impressive base channel package. It claims 95+ channels, but the selection can vary by ZIP code due to local channel offerings and regional sports networks. The Hulu website has a helpful feature that lets you see which networks are available in your ZIP code, which largely determines which local channels you can get.

Hulu Live offers a good mix of channels, including popular entertainment, lifestyle, sports, news, and Spanish networks.

Hulu + Live TV channels include:

• A&E
• Bravo
• CNN
• Comedy Central
• ESPN
• Food Network
• FOX News
• Hallmark
• HGTV
• Lifetime
• MS Now
• TBS
• Telemundo
• TUDN
• USA

What about premium channels and add-ons? Hulu Live lets users customize their subscriptions by allowing them to purchase premium channels or other add-ons. Those include the following:

• HBO Max Basic with Ads - $10.99/mo
• HBO Max Standard - $18.49/mo
• CINEMAX - $9.99/mo
• Paramount+ with Showtime - $13.99/mo
• STARZ - $10.99/mo
• Sports Add-on - $9.99/mo
• Entertainment add-on - $7.99/mo
• Español add-on - $4.99/mo

Hulu Live offers week-long free trials for some add-ons.

One compelling perk of a Hulu + Live TV subscription is the inclusion of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN. Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building, Paradise, and more on Hulu can access these shows via Hulu Live on the home page, TV, or the search function.

You also get access to Disney+ content as a Hulu with live TV subscription, perfect for fans of The Mandalorian, Loki, Ms. Marvel, and more. You use the same login information to access Disney+. I had no issues accessing the app during my testing. Keep in mind, you can only access Disney+ content on the Disney+ app. It’s also possible to stream most Hulu originals on the Disney+ app.

ESPN content operates similarly; however, Hulu makes it even more accessible for sports fans. Selecting the “Sports” tab while in live provides direct access to ESPN content without needing to exit the Hulu app.