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Hulu's Live TV Service Will Reportedly Cost $39.99/Month, With $20 Cloud DVR Add-On

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Although Hulu's new live TV bundle is set to launch before spring is over, details about the service have been noticeably scant ahead of the its launch. Today, sources speaking with TechCrunch who have knowledge of Hulu's plans have claimed that the new cord-cutting bundle will cost subscribers exactly $39.99 per month, which comes in right under Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins' promise of a bundle that would cost users "under $40" per month.

The price of the service's add-on cloud DVR feature has also been detailed, which will reportedly cost users $20 each month to gain extensive video recording functionality. Subscribers to Hulu's base $39.99 package will have a limited DVR feature (small storage space, no fast-forwarding), but Hulu's alleged $20 DVR add-on package would include "unlimited" storage capped at 200 hours of programming as well as allow for fast-forwarding.

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The live TV service will allow for a certain amount of recording and storage space in its base package - a feature that's quickly becoming a standard offering for these types of businesses. But this recording space will not be a fully functional DVR, as it will not support fast-forwarding.

However, Hulu is considering an add-on package to its live TV service that will include an unlimited DVR with up to 200 hours of programming, as well as unlimited streams. (There may be a cap on concurrent streams outside the home, though - we've heard three.)

This add-on bundle will allow users to optionally upgrade their live TV service with the cloud DVR and unlimited streams, and will be priced under $20 per month, sources tell us.
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Concurrent streaming on devices in the same home is said to be capped at three, and that number may lessen for users who don't opt-in for the cloud DVR bundle. In total, the Hulu Live TV bundle would cost upwards of $60 on the high-end, which does still come in under most low- to medium-level traditional cable packages. Subscribers currently using Hulu's $7.99/month or $11.99/month (ad-free) on-demand options will simply have to pay the difference of an upgrade to the live TV service when it launches.

Reports about included channels have been circulated in the past -- including CBS and NBC -- but the look of the specific channel bundle that will be on offer, and if there might be more than one tier, remains a mystery. Most packages, like DirecTV Now, give users tiers ranging from $35/month to $70/month to access more channels. In the original rumor, Disney and Fox were floated as potential partners with Hulu's service, and Time Warner's stable of channels will also help bolster the channels available to subscribers.

Although the cord-cutting bundle options have become plentiful in the past few years, ranging from Sling TV to Playstation Vue to DirecTV Now, Hulu's alternative will be interesting as the first to combine live television with exclusive video on-demand options. One of the most important aspects of Hulu's bundle -- its actual launch date -- has yet to be rumored, but the company has until June 20 to debut the service before the end of spring.

Article Link: Hulu's Live TV Service Will Reportedly Cost $39.99/Month, With $20 Cloud DVR Add-On
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/04/13/hulus-live-tv-service-20-cloud-dvr/
So, unlimited == 200. Or 30 if you are T-Mobile. Or 22 if you ask AT&T. Or some other number if you ask Verizon. Someone really needs to explain to the marketing teams at tech companies what the word "unlimited" actually means.
 
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Pricing is starting to approach actual cable pricing. This is not going to work well. People who cut the cord are the target market. Pricing it as much as cable itself is a terrible strategy. Just because the programming is shifted from coax/satellite to the internet doesn't mean the pricing should be the same.

People want lower monthly bills. The free market will sort this out.
 
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Michael Scrip said:
Gosh... $60 a month for just TV + DVR...

And how much does this service cost from the cable company you already have?
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For my family, it was $115 per month for two HD TVs with DVR from DIRECTV. We switched to DIRECTV Now and are paying $35.00 per month now.

DIRECTV Now doesn't have any of the crap shopping channels and the package we have includes channels we want to watch that our more expensive traditional DIRECTV package didn't (SEC Network, for one). DIRECTV Now doesn't include DVR (yet). When DVR does roll out, it will probably cost extra; but we'd rather have the $80 per month savings than DVR right now anyway.
 
The main problem the cable/sat industry has is that they refuse to admit that their overall revenues and margins may just be untenable moving forward.

People mostly just want to pay less - Period.

These companies bloated themselves and are now just crafting constant new package versions of ways that try to still get the same amount of $/month out of customers who no longer want to pay that much and have realized how overpriced the offerings really are given the mostly un-compelling content.
 
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Is this whole streaming TV thing just a cruel joke? Seems like each service is missing a critical network that makes them not truly a cable replacement.
 
How can you find out what cable channels come on this pkg for $40.00. Does it come with live CNN, FOX news and FOX business channel?
 
avanpelt said:
For my family, it was $115 per month for two HD TVs with DVR from DIRECTV. We switched to DIRECTV Now and are paying $35.00 per month now.

DIRECTV Now doesn't have any of the crap shopping channels and the package we have includes channels we want to watch that our more expensive traditional DIRECTV package didn't (SEC Network, for one). DIRECTV Now doesn't include DVR (yet). When DVR does roll out, it will probably cost extra; but we'd rather have the $80 per month savings than DVR right now anyway.
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I haven't missed DVR. The On-Demand content + Netflix really renders DVR completely unnecessary.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
The main problem the cable/sat industry has is that they refuse to admit that their overall revenues and margins may just be untenable moving forward.

People mostly just want to pay less - Period.

These companies bloated themselves and are now just crafting constant new package versions of ways to try and still get the same amount of $/month out of customers who no longer want to pay that much and have realized how overpriced the offerings really are given the mostly un-compelling content.
Click to expand...
What exactly do you think the revenues and margins are the industry?
 
avanpelt said:
For my family, it was $115 per month for two HD TVs with DVR from DIRECTV. We switched to DIRECTV Now and are paying $35.00 per month now.

DIRECTV Now doesn't have any of the crap shopping channels and the package we have includes channels we want to watch that our more expensive traditional DIRECTV package didn't (SEC Network, for one). DIRECTV Now doesn't include DVR (yet). When DVR does roll out, it will probably cost extra; but we'd rather have the $80 per month savings than DVR right now anyway.
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Who do you get your internet from?

What I was saying is... the cable company offers TV channels and DVR in addition to the internet. :)

I'm thinking just TV and DVR from Hulu sounds high.
 
redscull said:
So, unlimited == 200. Or 30 if you are T-Mobile. Or 22 if you ask AT&T. Or some other number if you ask Verizon. Someone really needs to explain to the marketing teams at tech companies what the word "unlimited" actually means.
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Well seeing how T-Mobile and AT&T and Verizon are truly unlimited, I'm pretty sure they know what it means. I used 110GB last month on T-Mobile and never slowed down. So your comment is incorrect.

Hulu, however, doesn't know what unlimited is.
 
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Michael Scrip said:
Who do you get your internet from?

What I was saying is... the cable company offers TV channels and DVR in addition to the internet. :)

I'm thinking just TV and DVR from Hulu sounds high.
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I have gigabit fiber, also from AT&T, which is $70 per month. For me, the internet cost is not a factor in the equation because I had that expense even when we had traditional DIRECTV.

It would not surprise me if we start to see more competition with internet TV providers akin to what we see now with mobile providers in the U.S. This product/service category is just barely on the cusp of starting to take off. There is no real need for competition on price yet, but I suspect that will change down the road.
 
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Live TV makes no sense any more unless for Sports and possibly News.

It's funny how awkward Comcast is about me refusing their cable box even though I'm buying the cable and internet package from them. I keep trying to explain that the basic channels I have already have apps on ATV and I can just authenticate and watch them there instead...
 
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