Hulu is one of the best streaming services any TV fan can subscribe to. From their award-winning original series like FX on Hulu's The Bear and shocking and intriguing documentaries such as The Perfect Wife, to next-day streaming additions for networks like ABC and live sports, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Hulu's pretty much got it all. In addition to its impressive original content, the platform also gets new movies, and you can even watch premium channels through Hulu if you pay an extra fee.
Needless to say, there's a lot to sort through once you go to sign up for Hulu or start exploring your subscription. We break down the networks Hulu offers titles from, add-ons you can pay for through your subscription, and everything you can get with Hulu + Live TV below.
Networks on Hulu
Beyond just their originals, Hulu also offers titles from other networks, which we list below. This does not necessarily mean that you'll be able to watch every show or movie ever from the network; it simply means that Hulu offers a select — sometimes all — collection of titles. The titles available are based on licensing rights, popularity, and other factors we're not always privy to as viewers. Hulu breaks down its networks into three categories:
Entertainment:
- A&E
- ABC
- Adult Swim
- AMC
- CBS
- Cinemax*
- Comedy Central
- Discovery
- FOX
- Freeform
- FX
- The HISTORY Channel
- Hulu Originals
- Lifetime
- Max*
- MTV
- MyNetworkTV
- National Geographic
- Paramount+ with SHOWTIME+
- Starz*
- SYFY
- Telemundo
- USA
Kids:
- Cartoon Network
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- Nickelodeon
- Universal Kids
News:
- ABC News
- Bloomberg Television
- Fox News**
*Only available as an add-on.
**Only available through Live TV.
If not indicated as an add-on or Live TV option, titles from all of the networks above are available through any Hulu plan, starting at $7.99 a month.
Hulu add-ons
On top of Hulu Originals and the TV networks available with any Hulu plan, the streaming service also offers premium and partner channels for an extra price. These include pay television networks like HBO's streaming service Max, which doesn't come with basic cable, along with Hulu's partners ESPN and Disney. Here is the list below of the add-ons you can get with Hulu:
- Max - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $9.99 (with ads) or $16.99 (no ads) per month
- Paramount+ with SHOWTIME - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $12.99 per month
- STARZ - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $9.99 per month
- CINEMAX - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $9.99 per month
- ESPN+* - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $10.99 per month
- Disney+ (With Ads)* - Add to your Hulu subscription for an additional $2.00 per month
*Hulu notes: "Available only to eligible Hulu subscribers who are directly billed by Hulu and do not already have the Disney Bundle, a standalone Disney+ subscription, or the ESPN+ Add-on."
With the premium add-ons above, you can watch all the latest and original content from the channels/streamers above. That means fantasy fans can watch House of the Dragon, horror fans can watch Dexter and Dexter: New Blood, historical fiction fans can watch The Serpent Queen, and comedy fans can watch beloved movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall — and so much more — all through Hulu.
As for Hulu's partner add-ons, you'll be able to watch new series like Agatha All Along and the Star Wars universe of shows and movies with Disney+, plus live sporting events and other content with ESPN+. Each of the add-ons costs a different price as indicated above.
Check out more details on Hulu's premium add-ons, including a preview of each channel's lineup, on the Hulu homepage here. For the partner add-ons, check out more information on ESPN+ here and Disney+ here.
Hulu + Live TV
In addition to Hulu Originals, basic networks, and add-ons, Hulu also offers live TV, meaning your full viewing experience can really live in one place. With Hulu + Live TV, you'll have access to 95+ channels, unlimited DVR, and a live TV guide. That means not only can you watch TV shows, movies, and news, but sports channels are also included. And that's not all! Hulu + Live TV also includes Disney+ and ESPN+, meaning the content is nearly endless with this plan.
Go to the Hulu homepage here and scroll down to the Hulu + Live TV section to input your zip code to see all the channels you'd get with the service. It's like cable TV but much more! You can also pay extra for add-ons with Hulu + Live TV if some of your favorite channels are missing. Here's the breakdown for the possible add-ons:
- Español add-on - Add to your Hulu + Live TV subscription for an additional $4.99 per month
- Entertainment add-on - Add to your Hulu + Live TV subscription for an additional $7.99 per month
- Sports add-on - Add to your Hulu + Live TV subscription for an additional $9.99 per month
- Unlimited screens add-on - Add to your Hulu + Live TV subscription for an additional $9.99 per month
Sounds great, right? Now you're probably wondering how much Hulu + Live TV will cost you. Let's break down the prices of each Hulu plan below.
Hulu plans and pricing
We've gathered the following information from Hulu's plans and prices breakdown:
Hulu (With Ads) | Hulu (No Ads) | Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (With Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads)* | Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads)* | Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads)* | Live TV Only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Access to Hulu's ad-supported streaming library | Access to most of those same shows and movies without the ad breaks. Hulu (No Ads) excludes a few shows that play with ads before and after the video | Access to | Access to stream almost all videos from Hulu without ads. Access to everything on the Live TV plan — plus additional content from Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads) | Access to everything the Live TV plan has to offer — plus additional content from Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads) | Access to live content only, does not include the Hulu streaming library or access to Disney+ or ESPN+ |
$7.99/month (or $79.99/year) | $17.99/month | $76.99/month | $89.99/month | $81.99/month | $75.99/month |
Students: Get Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99/month, if eligible. Additional terms apply | This plan is no longer available for purchase or a plan switch — existing subscribers will be able to keep this plan so long as they do not cancel or change it |
*Hulu notes: "Access to Disney+ and ESPN+ through our Live TV plans is not available for subscribers who are billed by T-Mobile."
Now that you know everything about what Hulu offers, what are you waiting for? Currently, with a Hulu subscription, I'd recommend watching shows like FX on Hulu's Grotesquerie, Max's The Penguin with the Max add-on, and Hulu's library of horror movies to celebrate the spooky season. Happy streaming!