Hulu just cranked up the heat in the streaming wars, bumping its Live TV service to $89.99 monthly - an 8% jump that puts it neck-and-neck with cable pricing. The Disney-owned platform is softening the blow with a three-month promotional rate of $64.99 for new subscribers, but the move signals how streaming services are abandoning their budget-friendly roots for traditional TV economics.
The streaming industry just took another step toward traditional TV pricing, and Disney is leading the charge. Hulu quietly rolled out an 8% price increase for its Live TV service today, pushing the monthly cost to $89.99 - a far cry from streaming's original promise of cutting the cord to save money.
The timing isn't coincidental. With the MLB World Series starting October 24th and networks commanding premium rates for live sports, streaming platforms are discovering what cable companies knew all along - live content costs serious money. Hulu's price jump reflects this reality, bringing the service uncomfortably close to traditional cable territory.
But Disney isn't completely tone-deaf to subscriber sticker shock. The company is offering new and returning subscribers (who've been inactive for at least a month) a promotional rate of $64.99 monthly for the first three months. The deal runs through November 5th at 6:00 PM ET, potentially saving early adopters $75 over the promotional period.
"We've been preparing for this shift since Q2," a Disney spokesperson might say, though the company hasn't issued official statements about the strategic reasoning behind the increase. The move puts Hulu Live TV at a notable premium over YouTube TV, which currently offers its first three months at $72.99 before jumping to $82.99 monthly.
The competitive landscape reveals why streaming services are abandoning their budget positioning. Hulu's Live TV package includes over 95 channels with unlimited DVR recording, plus bundled access to ad-supported versions of Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Select. This represents significant content acquisition costs that Disney is now passing directly to consumers.
Industry analysts have been predicting this convergence for months. As streaming platforms mature and content costs escalate, the economics increasingly mirror traditional television. Live sports rights alone command billions annually, and platforms like are discovering that cord-cutters will pay premium prices for comprehensive channel lineups.
