javzyg nadynah raoghnailt
Kristee Summerford
Both services have their pluses and minuses but ultimately each offers a great live TV streaming experience. In general, it's a choice between having the biggest streaming bundle for the least amount of money, or being able to watch the greatest number of top channels. Hulu has an excellent selection of channels and not only adds a gigantic catalog of on-demand shows and movies but also includes the Disney Bundle -- Disney Plus and ESPN Plus -- for the $70 price, and as a result is our current Editors' Choice. Meanwhile, after an $8 price hike, YouTube TV still offers the most of the top 100 of any service, though it will be close as Hulu will soon add both PBS and Magnolia.
Hulu's greatest assets are the integration of a full complement of live TV channels with a massive catalog of on-demand content, and all for the one price. Hulu's channel count is solid, including some must-have programming. Its $70 price includes the ad-supported versions of Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, and there are even higher-priced choices for people who don't want to watch ads. If you want the most bang for buck, Hulu Plus Live Tv is where the smart money is.
With an excellent channel selection, easy-to-use interface and excellent cloud DVR, YouTube TV is an excellent cable TV replacement. It offers a $20 4K upgrade, but the downside is there isn't much to watch at present. If you don't mind paying a bit more than the Sling TVs of the world, YouTube TV offers a great live TV streaming experience.
The biggest difference comes down to channels. Comparing the total channel counts from our big list of the top 100 channels on every service, YouTube TV comes out on top with 77 from that list, closely followed by Hulu with 75. That total doesn't include every channel the services carry, just the ones in the top 100 as determined by the editors at CNET, but it still provides a good indication.
Both services offer all four of the major local channels -- ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC -- in most areas of the country, and both also carry local affiliates from The CW and MyTV. In the coming months Hulu is due to join YouTube TV in carrying PBS local stations.
Neither service offers many regional sports networks after both YouTube TV and Hulu dropped them in 2020. Beyond RSNs, however, YouTube TV has an advantage in national sports networks, with NBA TV available as part of its base package. Though YouTube TV used to have MLB Network as well, it dropped the channel earlier this year. YouTube users can pay another $11 to get the "Sports Plus" add-on that also includes Fox College Sports, GolTV, NFL RedZone and Fox Soccer Plus. In addition, users also have exclusive access to the NFL Sunday Ticket for an added $349. Meanwhile, Hulu users can sign up for a $10 package which includes NFL RedZone, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, MAVTV Motorsports Network, TVG and TVG2.
Premium channels like HBO, Starz and Showtime are also available for extra fees, and Hulu has two optional channel packages. One is an add-on for $8 per month with 17 channels including MTV Classic, CNBC World, the Cooking Channel and Science, and the other is a Spanish-language package with seven channels for $5. YouTube TV doesn't have any other additional channel packages, although you can add individual channels like Shudder and CuriosityStream for additional fees.
YouTube TV: In general the YouTube TV interface is easier to use, and not just to people used to using regular YouTube. If you're using the desktop or app versions, Google's streamer offers a streamlined structure -- even if it's not as pretty as Hulu.
Hulu Plus Live TV: If it was all a matter of which interface is more fun, then Hulu would take it. Hulu's look is brighter, and though it lacks YouTube's comprehensive search, it's still relatively easy to drill down into the kind of content you want to watch.
The difference in the number of simultaneous streams is worth noting, especially for families and other households who watch a lot of TV. YouTube TV lets you stream to three different devices -- say, the living room TV, a bedroom TV and a tablet -- at the same time, while Hulu lets you stream to two. Pay Hulu a hefty $10 extra per month and it will upgrade your number of streams to unlimited. On the other hand, the only real reason to pay for the $20 4K upgrade on YouTube is to also get unlimited streams.
YouTube TV has rightly earned accolades for its excellent cloud DVR but Hulu closed the gap with an upgrade in 2022. Both now have unlimited storage and let you fast-forward through commercials in recorded content, so while we still consider YouTube TV's DVR the gold standard, Hulu's is very good too.
YouTube TV includes on-demand TV shows and movies from participating networks and shows, much like your cable service, and also offers YouTube Originals commercial-free. But it pales in comparison to Hulu.
As we mentioned above, a Hulu Plus Live TV subscription unlocks all of the on-demand TV shows and movies available on the standard Hulu service, including thousands of episodes of network TV shows, as well as originals like The Bear, The Handmaid's Tale, Only Murders in the Building, Pam & Tommy and the movie Palm Springs. It also includes an ad-supported Disney Plus and ESPN Plus subscription, with their massive on-demand libraries.
Both services represent the peak of what live TV streaming has to offer, and both are better overall than the other two major premium options, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. Your choice between the two comes down to cost, channel selection, usability and content, and it's pretty close between the two Hulu enables you to integrate a wide channel selection with its exemplary on-demand library which may be worth it for some. In the end though it's all about having access to your favorite channels, so choose the service which gives you the channels you want.
Americans increased their average weekly time streaming video 18% from 2021 to 2022, according to a spring 2022 report from Nielsen. And 93% plan to either increase or maintain their paid streaming services in the next year.
That makes finding an internet service provider that can handle those fast-growing demands essential for consumers. For satellite internet users and those living in rural and remote areas, Viasat is a great choice. In fact, Reviews.org recommends Viasat as the best satellite internet service for streaming.
Similar to other internet service providers and cellphone companies, Viasat offers a variety of plans with features and data options to meet your streaming needs, plus ways to manage that data at peak efficiency.
For kids watching cartoons or an adult viewing typical TV or movies, the lower settings are probably fine. Higher-end fare like sci-fi movies or sporting events will likely look sharper in higher definition.
Apple has made a push into live sports, signing a deal with Major League Soccer (MLS Season Pass, $13 a month) and airing MLB games on Friday nights. For 2024 the company added some new features, including bringing Multiview, which had been limited to only those using an Apple TV 4K, to the iPad.
Apple TV+ is now also available as part of of a $15-a-month bundle from Comcast that also includes Netflix and Peacock. To get this "StreamSaver" bundle, you have to be a Comcast Xfinity TV or Internet customer.
The company also says it is partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery for a new bundle that will include Disney+, Hulu, and Max. No additional information has been released other than that the bundle will launch this summer.
Disney now fully owns Hulu, and has combined Hulu and Disney+ into a single app. Some industry reports indicate that Disney has been in talks with streaming services to sell some of its back catalogs. This would be a major change for Disney, which pulled back its content from Netflix and others just a few years ago.
Hulu is looking to curtail account sharing with an updated subscriber agreement that outlines new limitations on access outside of the household. Subscribers are warned that violations give parent company Disney the right to limit or terminate access to the service.
As noted above, Comcast Xfinity TV and internet customers can now get a bundle that includes Netflix, Apple TV+ and Peacock, for $15 a month. To get this "StreamSaver" bundle, you have to be a Comcast Xfinity TV or Internet customer.
Netflix is also moving into sports, with a three-year deal that will bring NFL holiday games to the service. This year, Netflix will host two Christmas Day games: the Super Bowl LVII-winning Chiefs vs. Steelers, followed by the Ravens vs. Texans. In 2025 and 2026, Netflix will stream at least one holiday game each year.
Netflix has cracked down on account sharing in various countries, including the U.S., where subscribers now have to pay an extra $8 per month per user to share an account with someone outside their household.
To make the switch easier for customers who have been sharing accounts, Netflix unveiled a tool that lets you transfer account info, such as viewing history and program recommendations, to a new subscription.
The basic $80 Pro plan has 199 channels with local stations in most markets, plus lots of sports networks and many cable channels. Stepping up to the $90 Elite plan gets you Fubo Extra, with 57 more sports and lifestyle channels, while the $100 Premier plan has even more channels, as well as Showtime and Sports Plus, which includes NFL RedZone.
On regular YouTube, you can subscribe to additional streaming services, including AMC+ and Paramount+, plus several other smaller and/or niche services. YouTube TV subscribers have been able to do this, but now anyone can access the Primetime Channel hub on YouTube.
Amazon Fire TV Channels
Amazon Fire TV Channels is a special option included exclusively on Fire TV devices. This service aggregates free, ad-supported content from a range of popular sources, including MLB, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CBS Sports, NHL, Fox Sports, NASCAR, and more.