The cost of the average cable bill has reached more than $100, so it’s no wonder that people are looking to cut the cord and instead rely on live TV services.
However, it can be hard to navigate the world of cord-cutting and understand how to save money—but still get your favorite channels. In this guide, we’ll discuss fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, two of the most popular live TV services available to cord-cutters. Let’s get started!
An Overview Of fuboTV & Hulu + Live TV
Both fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV are internet TV services. Unlike a traditional cable or satellite TV subscription, they deliver content from top channels like ESPN, Fox Sports, CNN and more – directly through an internet connection. You don’t need a cable box or any other equipment, just a reliable high-speed internet connection.
These services have a number of advantages compared to a traditional cable or satellite subscription. First, they require no installation of a physical cable, satellite dish, or antenna. You can watch anywhere in your home where you have a WiFi connection.
These services are also quite inexpensive compared to cable. Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV are $69.99/month and $64.99/month respectively for the basic package, which is a great deal compared to a standard cable bill.
In addition, internet TV services work on a month-by-month subscription. You won’t have to pay any cancellation fees or sign a long-term contract. That means you can try each one out and see which is best for you.
fuboTV
fuboTV was first founded in January 2015, and has quickly become a go-to internet TV service for cord-cutters who love sports.
| Pro 7-day free trial $69.99/ month | 138 channels 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Elite 7-day free trial $79.99/ month | 202 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Latino Monthly $8 off for the first month $33/ month | 45 channels 2 simultaneous streams 250 hours of DVR space | SIGN UP |
| Ultimate 7-day free trial $99.99/ month | 240 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus Showtime Live and On Demand Sports Plus with NFL Redzone 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
While it was founded with a specific emphasis on sports, fuboTV has grown to include a number of cable news, entertainment, and reality TV channels in its $64.99/month subscription. These include FX, IFC, E!, The Food Network, CNBC, Fox News, and more. You can check out the full list of channels here.
Top features
fuboTV has a few great features. First, they have a huge number of partnerships with local NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS affiliates. That means that most people can get their local “Big 4 “ stations right through fuboTV, without needing an OTA antenna.
fuboTV also has the best sports coverage of any internet TV service if you like watching soccer, rugby, and other international sports. It even has ESPN, which it lacked for a number of years. You get a ton of exclusive networks like beIN sports and The Olympic Channel, as well as a ton of add-on options for additional sports coverage.
Finally, fuboTV has pretty good device support, so you can watch your favorite channels just about anywhere, and it has a DVR that allows you to record your shows for later viewing.
It also has a feature called “look back,” which lets you view most shows and programs for up to 72 hours after they aired.
Downsides
fuboTV is not perfect for all cord-cutters. First, there are some major gaps in its channel coverage.
Even though you get 100+ total channels, you don’t get nearly as many non-sports channels as you would using Hulu + Live TV or another service. If you’re not into international sports, fuboTV may not be right for you.
fuboTV is also a bit expensive, compared to some other “skinny bundles.” $64.99/month is still cheap compared to cable, but some competitors like Philo and Sling TV are cheaper.
| Pro 7-day free trial $69.99/ month | 138 channels 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Elite 7-day free trial $79.99/ month | 202 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Latino Monthly $8 off for the first month $33/ month | 45 channels 2 simultaneous streams 250 hours of DVR space | SIGN UP |
| Ultimate 7-day free trial $99.99/ month | 240 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus Showtime Live and On Demand Sports Plus with NFL Redzone 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV launched in late 2017, and it’s quickly become one of the best deals in internet TV. It has a huge number of channels, reasonable features, and a relatively low price.
| Hulu + Live TV No Hassle TV $69.99/ month | 75+ Live TV Channels 2 simultaneous streams Unlimited DVR Disney+ and ESPN+ Included | SIGN UP |
| Hulu + Live TV No Ads $79.99/ month | 75+ Live TV Channels 2 simultaneous streams Unlimited DVR Disney+ and ESPN+ Included | SIGN UP |
It recently raised its prices by $5 to $69.99/month. For your money, you get live TV from about 75+ channels, including Disney+ and ESPN+. It’s more expensive than some competitors like Sling TV and Philo, but has a more well-rounded package of channels and features.
Top features
Hulu + Live TV has some good features that have made it quite popular. First, one of the biggest benefits is a free subscription to the main Hulu on-demand video service, which is an $7/month value. You can watch the entire library of Hulu content, including hit originals like Handmaid’s Tale, for no extra charge if you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV.
The service also has a really good channel lineup, with few coverage gaps. You can get quite a few local “Big 4” stations in most areas. You can use this tool to check your lineup of local stations.
Hulu + Live TV also offers entertainment networks like FX, TBS, and TNT, as well as sports coverage from NBCSN, Fox Sports, and a number of ESPN channels. The service even provides cable news like CNN and MSNBC.
You also get a DVR with up to 50 hours of storage, which you can upgrade to 200 hours, so you can record your shows and watch them later, on your own terms. And even if you forget to record a show, chances are you can watch it on Hulu the day after it airs.
Downsides
Hulu + Live TV only lets you stream on 2 devices by default, which may be limiting if you’re part of a larger family. You can upgrade to unlimited devices, but it will cost you an additional fee.
Its DVR could be better, too. You only get 50 hours of storage. Again, to get more, you’ll have to fork over an additional monthly fee for an “Enhanced DVR” upgrade.
Fact 1: fuboTV & Hulu + Live TV Both Have Spanish-Language Packages Available
If you are a Spanish-speaking person, and you need international coverage, fuboTV is a great choice for you, thanks to the Latino Plus package. With this package, you’ll pay $32.99/month to get 33+ channels of Spanish and Portuguese content, with 100+ sporting events airing every year. It also includes a 250 hour DVR, and lets you stream on up to 3 screens at once.
Hulu + Live TV also offers a Spanish language add-on in the “Español Add-On,” which costs $4.99/month and comes with top Spanish channels like ESPN Deportes, NBC Universo and Discovery Familia.
Fact 2: Both Hulu + Live TV And fuboTV Let You Upgrade Your DVR And Simultaneous Streams
If you want to stream on more devices or upgrade your DVR, you have the option to do so with both fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV.
fuboTV lets you upgrade your DVR from a 250-hour capacity to a total of 1,000 hours with an upgrade package that costs $16.99/month. You can also stream on up to 10 devices with a $9.99/month Unlimited Screens add-on. Higher-tier Pro and Elite fuboTV packages also include both of these features for no extra cost.
Hulu + Live TV offers similar upgrades. You can expand the default 50-hour cloud DVR to 200 hours of storage with the $9.99/month “Enhanced Cloud DVR” package.
If you want to stream on more devices, you can upgrade with the “Unlimited Screens” package for $9.99/month. This lets you stream on 3 devices at once outside your WiFi network, and on unlimited devices when using your home WiFi network.
You have the option of combining these two add-ons for a monthly cost of $14.99, which is a pretty good deal.
Fact 3: fuboTV Has Great Sports Coverage And Recently Added ESPN
fuboTV has more than 2 dozen sports channels, and you can choose to add even more sports coverage with a number of add-on channel packages. It also added ESPN in 2020, which was one of the only sports channels it was missing, bringing it up to par with Hulu + Live TV.
Fact 4: fuboTV Has A Lot More Add-Ons Than Hulu + Live TV
If you want to customize your channel subscription, fuboTV gives you many more options for additional channels. You can pick from more than 17 different add-ons, including:
- fubo Cycling
- International Sports Plus
- Sports Plus
- Adventure Plus
- SHOWTIME
- Portuguese Plus
- Mundo Plus
- fubo Latino
- Kids Plus
There are many options for getting more of your favorite channels, especially if you are looking for Spanish-language content.
In contrast, Hulu + Live TV has only a few premium channels you can add, such as Showtime, HBO and Starz, as well as the Entertainment and Español Add-Ons. If you want to customize your subscription or watch obscure or internationally-popular channels, you’re more likely to find them on fuboTV.
Fact 5: Hulu + Live TV Has A Much Better On-Demand Video Library
While fuboTV lets you rewind to watch previously-aired content for up to 72 hours, it is quite limited when it comes to on-demand content.
You’ll be able to watch on-demand shows from most channels, including recently-aired episodes, some past seasons, and a few movies. But your on-demand are relatively limited, and rotate frequently.
In contrast, Hulu + Live TV provides users with full access to the entire Hulu library. You can watch most episodes of major network shows like Family Guy and Brooklyn Nine-Nine the day after they’re aired on TV.
You also get access to tens of thousands of hours of archived content. If you’re looking for a single service that includes both on-demand content and live coverage of sports, entertainment, and more, Hulu With Live TV delivers.
Fact 6: Both Hulu + Live TV And fuboTV Have Similar Device Support
Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV support the same devices, for the most part. You can watch fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV on:
- Roku
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Amazon Fire TV
- iOS and Android
- Web browsers
fuboTV also supports Android TV devices like the NVIDIA SHIELD natively. Hulu + Live TV has slightly better support though. Notably, it’s the only live TV streaming service that supports the Nintendo Switch.
Fact 7: You Can Get Premium Channels On Both Services
Source: Hulu With Live TV
With fuboTV, you can get a pretty good lineup of premium networks. This includes:
- AMC Premiere – $4.99/month
- Epix – $5.99/month
- Showtime – $10.99/month
- Starz – $8.99/month
You can also combine Showtime, Starz, and Epix for just $19.99/month, which is a great option for cinephiles and TV lovers alike.
Hulu + Live TV also has a lot of premium networks, too, including Cinemax and HBO, which you can’t get with fuboTV. This includes:
- HBO Max – $14.99/month
- Cinemax – $9.99/month
- SHOWTIME – $10.99/month
- Starz– $8.99/month
If premium networks are important to you, Hulu + Live TV is likely to be a better overall choice, but fuboTV is pretty competitive, too.
Fact 8: You Can Try Both Services With A Free Trial Today
Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV both are offering a free trial for new users. You can get started with Hulu + Live TV for a week by clicking here. If you’re interested in fuboTV, you can click here to get a free trial. Sign up for one or both services, and see which one is right for you.
fuboTV Vs. Hulu + Live TV: Which Is Better?
The answer to this question is not very clear-cut. It all depends on what you’re looking for from an internet TV service. If you’re still not sure what service might be right for you, here are some questions to ask yourself when thinking about which one to choose.
Do you need foreign-language programming and international sports coverage?
Hulu + Live TV offers NBCSN and The Olympic Channel, but beyond that, international sports coverage is pretty limited. Even with the Español Add-on, you won’t get much coverage of international sports. fuboTV is definitely a better option if you need a lot of foreign-language program and international sports coverage.
Do you have a large family?
fuboTV may be a better option if you have a large family. It includes 100+ channels for $64.99/month, and gives you 3 streams and 250 hours of DVR space by default. In contrast, Hulu + Live TV costs $69.99/month for 85+ channels, and by default, you only get 2 streams and 50 hours of DVR space. To upgrade your streams and DVR space, you need to pay $14.99/month for Unlimited Streams + Enhanced DVR.
Do you need a lot of on-demand content?
If you want to watch a lot of on-demand content, fuboTV may not be the best choice for you. The 72-hour “rewind” feature of fuboTV is nice, but it’s not great for “binge-watching” shows on-demand, since its library is pretty limited.
In contrast, you can get a mind-boggling number of shows on-demand with Hulu With Live TV, including Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale. You even have the option of adding HBO Max to your subscription for even more on-demand content.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
Very well thought out and got what i needed. Thank you for all the info!
I’m watching EPSN on FubuTV right now. The Dodges/SD game is on. In July FuboTV acquired Disney and ESPN rights.
Thank you very much. You answered all questions in my mind.
Fubo now has ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN U
Fubo has lost some major channels, starting in August 2020. Disappointed to see the change and now considering Hulu Live TV. I’m doing a trial of Hulu now and the clarity is much better than Fubo. Thanks for the informative write-up!