Hulu hikes price of live TV service to $55 a month

Cord-cutters just can’t cut a break.

Hulu informed subscribers that it will increase the price of its Hulu with Live TV service by a whopping 20%, bringing the price of the monthly subscription to $54.99, up from $44.99.

The price hike, which goes into effect Dec. 18, was announced via an email to subscribers Friday.

“This price change allows us to continue delivering the best live and on-demand TV experience for you. In addition to ongoing product enhancements, Hulu + Live TV will continue to include the largest streaming library with more than 85,000 episodes of TV, movies and award-winning Hulu originals,” the email read.

The price hike will be implemented on customers’ billing cycles after Dec. 18.

“As always, you have choice and control in how you watch Hulu. Explore all of our plan options and find the one that best fits your unique needs, or to cancel, visit your Account page,” the email went on.

The company acknowledged that people are likely going to start paying for live TV on an as-needed basis.

“We know that many people don’t watch live television year-round, so we’ve made it easy for Hulu subscribers to switch back and forth between our plans to best suit their needs,” a blog post on its site read.

The news comes after an eventful week in the streaming wars: Disney launched its streaming service, Disney+, which includes the option of a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, though not Hulu’s live TV offering.

TV-watchers who used Hulu to replace traditional cable were, unsurprisingly, not happy about the 20% increase — especially considering it was the second price hike of the year.

“At this point I’m feeling like it must just be cheaper to add TV to my internet and get a bundle discount,” wrote @ryeisenberg on Twitter.

“Sorry @Hulu, but I draw the line at the second price increase with no new channels or features. $700+ year is just as bad as big cable company’s,” @iammatthew wrote.

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