Hulu"s Live TV subscription service is set to receive another price hike for the second time this year. The company announced today that Hulu + Live TV will cost $54.99 starting December 18, a $10 increase from its current price.
Hulu last raised the pricing for its Live TV service in January of this year, when its monthly fee jumped $39.99 to $44.99. That move aimed to compensate for extra costs on more content and service improvements, among other factors.
Explaining the new price increase, Hulu says it "better reflects the substantial value of Hulu + Live TV and allows us to continue offering all of the popular live news, sports and entertainment programming included in the plan." That said, the streaming provider will make the new change flexible based on consumer requirements. Hulu explains it this way:
"Price changes are never easy to stomach, and 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. If you love college football, choose Hulu + Live TV during the season, then switch to one of Hulu’s less expensive on-demand plans when it’s over. If you enjoy most of your TV on demand but really want to watch live election news, just switch to Hulu + Live TV for a few months."
The price hike will apply across all Live TV plans. Only new users will immediately see the new price when they subscribe to the service on December 18. For existing customers, the new increase will be reflected in their next billing cycle after that date. In the future, the company plans to introduce more ways to let subscribers customize their live viewing experience.