Remember the days when we all thought “cutting the cable” would ultimately save us money? Well, it’s starting to look like if the sheer number of services you have to subscribe to to keep up with all the latest and greatest shows doesn’t get you, good ol’ fashioned price raises will. Hulu has announced it is increasing the price of its live TV subscriptions by $5 a month, bringing the monthly fee to $69.99 for the ad-supported version and $75.99 for ad-free (via The Hollywood Reporter). However, it’s not all bad news. Along with the $5 price increase, Hulu is adding two fantastic values to its live TV package: Disney+ and ESPN+.
Starting on December 21, all Hulu live TV subscribers will gain full access to both Disney and ESPN’s streaming services, both of which were previously offered albeit at a higher price. For those who were already subscribed to these packages, you can expect a small but surely welcome $3 price dip. However, unfortunately for those with no interest in Disney and ESPN, there is no option to opt out of the additions.
While the ever-secretive Disney has not revealed how many people subscribe to their service via Hulu, earlier this month Hulu reported it now has a staggering 43.8 million subscribers, 4 million of which are signed up for its live TV package. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hulu + Live TV remains the “the strongest when it comes to average revenue per user, averaging $84.89 per user while the standard Hulu subscription averages $12.75 per user.” Suffice to say, we can’t anticipate this price increase will have a negative impact on the streaming service, and could even help Disney+ out of their slump.