Hulu + Live TV vs. YouTube TV - PCMag.com

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Getting rid of cable does not mean that you can’t watch live TV. Many video streaming services are true alternatives to cable, complete with extensive channel lineups, DVR capabilities, and premium add-ons. Most of these services also command a monthly subscription price that rivals some cable bills, so it’s important to find one that meets all your needs. In this guide, we compare the major features and capabilities of two Editors’ Choice winners, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV, to determine which is the better service.

Pricing and Platforms

Hulu + Live TV, which includes ad-supported access to Hulu’s on-demand library and Hulu’s Live TV plan, costs $54.99 per month. Hulu also offers a plan that bundles the ad-free version of Hulu with the Live TV plan, for $60.99 per month. After its latest price hike, YouTube TV is now $64.99 per month. Especially over an extended subscription period, Hulu + Live TV’s costs end up being significantly cheaper.

In addition to web browsers, Hulu is available on mobile devices (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku), select smart TVs, and gaming consoles (such as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch). YouTube TV mostly matches that platform support, although it does not have an app for the Nintendo Switch.

Winner: Hulu + Live TV

Channel Lineup

For this article, I compare Hulu + Live TV’s and YouTube TV’s lineup based on a New York City zip code. Depending on your location, you may see a slightly different lineup of broadcast affiliates and regional sports networks (RSNs) on whichever live TV service you choose. At the time of publishing, Hulu + Live TV features around 75 channels in our test location, whereas YouTube TV offers a total of around 93 channels.

Networks

Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV cover all the major broadcast networks with local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and Telemundo channels. YouTube TV also offers PBS channels, something that Hulu can’t claim.

News

In terms of news coverage, Hulu + Live TV offers 10 total channels, including ABC News Live, CBSN, Cheddar, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, FOX Business, FOX News, HLN, and MSNBC.

YouTube TV's news lineup is superior, with 14 total channels. Apart from CBSN and CNN International, YouTube TV matches Hulu's lineup. The service also adds BBC America, BBC World News, CNBC World, Local Now, Newsy, and TYT; these channels are not available on Hulu.

Sports

Although many sports air on broadcast networks, non-primetime matches, overflow coverage, and commentary shows may only be available on other channels. Our guide on how to watch every sport can help you determine which networks and channels you need to watch your favorite teams and sports.

Hulu + Live TV's and YouTube TV’s sports coverage is similar; they respectively offer 18 and 17 sports channels. Both include ACC Network, BTN, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Network, Olympic Channel, SEC Network, and SNY. Hulu also includes ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN College Extra, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN 3, and YES, while YouTube TV differentiates itself with ESPNews, MLB Network, NBA TV, and Tennis Channel.

Entertainment and Lifestyle

Hulu + Live TV offers 28 entertainment and lifestyle channels, which falls short of YouTube TV's total of 39 channels in this genre.

Hulu + Live TV's lineup includes A&E, Bravo, Cozi, Discovery Channel, E!, Food Network, FX, FXM, FXX, HGTV, History, ID, LifeTime, MotorTrend, NASA, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Oxygen, Pop, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, USA, and Vice.

YouTube TV is missing A&E, History, Lifetime, NASA, and Vice, but includes AMC, BET, CMT, Comet TV, Comedy Central, IFC, MTV, OWN, Paramount, Start TV, Sundance TV, Tastemade, TV Land, Universo, VH1, and WE TV in its lineup, none of which are available on Hulu.

Family and Kids

Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV are similar in their support for family-friendly channels. Hulu offers nine total channels, including Animal Planet, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, Smithsonian Channel, and Universal Kids. YouTube TV has all of the same channels, except for Boomerang. However, that service adds [email protected], Nickelodeon, and PBS’s Thirteen, which gives it an advantage.

Winner: YouTube TV

Available Add-Ons

In addition to standard channels, most live TV services allow you to add on premium channels or packages that expand coverage in a particular genre. Another advantage of subscribing to an add-on alongside a live TV service (rather than separately) is that you don’t have to deal with multiple logins, billing statements, or interfaces.

Hulu + Live TV offers HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz premium channel add-ons, along with two package add-ons: Entertainment and Español. The $7.99-per-month Entertainment package includes American Heroes Channel, CNBC World, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, DIY Network, FYI, LMN, and Science. The Español package costs $4.99 per month and features CNN en Español, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, ESPN Deportes, History Channel en Español, and Universo.

YouTube TV subscribers can add Acorn TV, AMC Premiere, Cinemax, CuriosityStream, EPIX, FOX Soccer Plus, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Showtime, Shudder, Starz, Sundance Now, and UMC as part of their subscription.

Many of YouTube TV’s add-ons are standalone services that you can subscribe to on their own (despite the disadvantages mentioned earlier). Hulu + Live TV offers several of the major standalone services, too, but its Entertainment and Español packages are arguably more valuable since the included channels are more difficult to get otherwise.

Winner: Hulu + Live TV

On-Demand Content

Most live TV streaming services offer on-demand content from the channels in their live TV lineup. If a channel broadcasts a TV show or movie as part of its programming schedule, you can likely watch it on-demand around the time it airs. Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV include such on-demand content. To determine which one is superior for you, take a look at the channel lineups. If one has a movie channel that you like and the other doesn’t, then you should go with the one that does.

As mentioned, a Hulu + Live TV subscription includes access to the service’s expansive lineup of on-demand shows and movies. With Disney controlling the majority stake in Hulu, we only expect its library of content to grow over time. Currently, the on-demand lineup includes animated shows (Adventure Time, Bob’s Burgers, and Futurama), comedies (Broad City, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Malcolm in the Middle, Parks and Recreation, and Scrubs), dramas (The Good Wife, Killing Eve, The Orville, and The X-Files), and a dedicated hub for new and old FX shows.

Hulu also produces original shows, which is one of the biggest appeals of on-demand services. Hulu’s originals do not rival those from Netflix or Prime Video, but some titles, such as Castle Rock, Casual, Catch-22, Harlots, Ramy, The Handmaid’s Tale, and the Veronica Mars reboot are worth watching.

Winner: Hulu + Live TV

Features and DVR

Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV support 1080p streaming at 60 frames per second on select platforms. Hulu limits these playback specs to the Apple TV (4th generation or later); Fire TV and Fire TV Stick; select Samsung TV models; and the Xbox One. Hulu + Live TV supports 2.0 stereo audio, but select on-demand programming is available in 5.1 Surround Sound. YouTube TV’s stream currently only supports standard stereo audio.

Hulu + Live TV allows for two concurrent viewers, but that falls short of YouTube TV's support for three simultaneous streams. However, Hulu’ + Live TV's Unlimited Screens add-on ($9.99 per month) does allow subscribers to stream on an unlimited number of devices at home simultaneously and up to three concurrent streams everywhere else.

Hulu + Live TV’s storage limit for DVR recordings is capped at 50 hours, but you can keep everything you’ve saved for as long as you maintain your subscription. Hulu also gives you the option to upgrade your DVR storage to 200 total hours for an additional $9.99 per month. DVR diehards will appreciate that a YouTube TV subscription includes unlimited DVR storage, with each recording available for up to nine months.

Winner: YouTube TV

A Matter of Preference

Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV are both excellent options for cable-cutters who still want to watch live TV, but they excel in different ways. For instance, if a larger channel lineup and unlimited DVR storage are important features to you, then YouTube TV is your best bet. On the other hand, Hulu + Live TV is a significantly better value, especially when you consider that you get access to the service’s entire on-demand library of shows and movies. Hulu + Live TV isn’t too far behind YouTube TV in any of the other categories, either, which gives it a slight overall edge.

Of course, you may attach different levels of importance to the above categories than we do—the price alone may disqualify YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV's add-on channels might hold no appeal for you. These are both top services, however, and you won't go far wrong with either of them.