Streaming services have been raising their prices of late. Hulu is no exception, and they have raised the price for their Hulu + Live TV bundle, as mentioned in Engadget. The bundle consists of Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (No Ads), and ESPN+ (With Ads). The price will go from $70 a month to $75, and will start on the first billing cycle on or after December 8th.
As for the Hulu bundle with no ads, the price will now be $83, as opposed to its previous $76 subscription. Reports say that subscribers can switch or cancel their subscription, but the legacy plan will no longer be available on December 8th, so they never subscribe to it again.
Disney's Losses
Disney disclosed that they've had operating losses worth almost $1.1 billion from its streaming services. However, they also claimed that there were 14.4 million new subscribers for the third quarter of the year. The subscriber increase was seen in Disney+ alone.
Disney is still raising their prices for Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. This might be due to the losses they have incurred, and gathering new subscribers wasn't enough. It could also explain why the bundle has also increased its price.
Price Increase Prior
Back in early October, there had already been a price increase for Hulu as well. The ad-supported plan went from $7 to $8. For its ad-free plan, the price increased to $15, which was previously $13.
In late August, the ESPN+ subscription increased from $7 to $10 per month. Its yearly plan now costs $100 compared to its previous $70, which is a 43% increase, according to Tech Crunch.
Alternatives for Paid Streaming Services
Freevee
The streaming service offers great movie titles and has interesting originals. You can even spot on-demand content. Among the movies are Deadpool, Spy, Emma, and the Invisible man. You'll also access certain TV shows like Hell's Kitchen, Lost, Mad Men, and Desperate Housewives.
Peacock
Peacock has a premium version, but the free tier alone has more than 13,000 hours worth of content to choose from. It has popular content like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park. For shows, you can enjoy content like The Office, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Recreation, and Battlestar Galactica.
Pluto TV
Although Freevee and Peacock both have live TV as well, Pluto is superior to it, as suggested by Tom's Guide. You can watch CNN, Fox Sports, TV Land Drama, BET Her, MTV's Jersey Shore, and VH1's I Love Reality. The downside is, a lot of its content is a bit old.
Roku Channel
Roku Channel has access to big titles like Game of Thrones. The catch is, you'll only have access to the first episode. It's a good way to see if you'll like the series without having to pay for a subscription first.
Vudu
The streaming service has over 10,00 free movies and TV episodes. That's a lot to look through, and you'll probably find something that you would like. It has movies like Troy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Prestige, All is Lost, and Hoosiers.
