Hulu has been around for a while, and for our money, it’s one of the absolute best streaming services available. From high-quality movies like Alien, Dune, and Detective Pikachu, to television series like The Bear and What We Do in the Shadows, there is always something awesome to watch.
Hulu Subscription Tiers
Hulu is available in several different tiers. You can get the least expensive option for $7.99 a month (and get your first month free), which gives you access to everything exclusive, tons of movies, Hulu Originals, children’s programming, and more, but you’ll have to stomach some ads. If you want to get rid of the ads, you can spring for the $14.99 a month ‘Hulu (No Ads)’ package (and the first month is still free).
Hulu: Bundle to Best
If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can’t go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from. The first bundle is actually listed under ‘Base Plans’ with the previous two we mentioned, and I have no idea why that is because it’s clearly a bundle. This one is called ‘Hulu + Live TV,’ and it’s $69.99 a month. Hulu+Live TV includes Disney Plus and ESPN+, and gives you access to over 75+ channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality, along with ad-supported versions of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
If you want to ditch the ads, there is an ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV that is $82.99 a month, which comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads. The most economical is the ‘Disney Bundle Duo Basic,’ which is $9.99 a month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. Duo Basic lets you stream on multiple devices at once, and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
The ‘Trio Basic’ bundle comes with all of that, but also adds ESPN+ to the mix, bumping up the price to $12.99 a month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level, while the “Trio Premium” bundle, is $19.99 a month and comes with ESPN+ and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu, and you can download select content across all three streaming services.
What can you watch on Hulu?
There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let’s start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here, with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney Plus, ESPN+, or live TV, we’ll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with HBO to gain access to things like Succession and Barry).
Here’s what you get:
- Television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, etc.)
- Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
- Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
- News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)
Hulu Television
Hulu has some awesome shows, including many that are finished or are ongoing. For comedy, Community and New Girl are awesome for self-contained highjinks, and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has a whopping 15 seasons available, with the 16th season right around the corner. What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Hot Ones, Drunk History, and Don’t Trust The B* In Apartment 23; there is a ton of great stuff to get into, whether your sense of humor is edgy or not.
There are also some big originals, like The Bear, The Old Man, Under the Banner of Heaven, as well as The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders In The Building.
As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob’s Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Animaniacs, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.
The Future of Hulu
Hulu isn’t going anywhere. As a matter of fact, beyond it being nominated for the Best Streaming Service of 2022 (and reviewing so well), Disney also plans to create a one-app experience with Hulu before the end of 2023, so if you love Hulu’s offerings, you are going to get even more.
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN & GameSpot. You can get your fix of his antics on Twitter (@Ribnax) Backloggd (Ribnax) & Twitch (Ribnax) or check out his fantastic video game talk show, The Platformers, on Twitch & Apple Podcasts.