Hulu prices are going up quickly — here's when and how much

Hulu prices are going up quickly — here's when and how much

Did you hear? Sounds like Hulu is getting a little pricey in the near future: as announced to subscribers via email, starting October 8, 2021, both the standard ad-supported and ad-free Hulu plans will increase in price by $1.00.

Hulu has long been one of the cheaper streaming services, at $5.99 per month with ads. After this price increase, Hulu will still be one of the most affordable streaming services at $6.99 per month. Ad-free Hulu will go up from $11.99 to $12.99 per month.

While this is welcome news for everyone (aside from shareholders of parent companies Disney and Comcast), it is a reminder that those who have both Hulu and Disney Plus should probably only get the Disney bundle (which includes ESPN Plus) It reminds me that I have to be reminded of this. More on that later.

In the email to subscribers received by Tom's Guide, Hulu includes specific dates for customers' billing cycles so they know when they can suspend or cancel their accounts to avoid the price increase.

Hulu has been making a big deal for a while about being on the cheap side, lowering its price from $7.99 to $5.99 in 2019. This announcement was made right after Netflix raised its price, so it's clear that someone at Hulu said enough is enough, it's time to start making more money (they're clearly increasing their original content now).

Heck, since that 2019 price hike, Netflix has raised its prices one more time, so Hulu has certainly shown at least comparable restraint.

And that includes people like me who have no reason to touch ESPN Plus, the third division of the Disney bundle (Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus). This package costs $13.99/month, which is about $1 less than buying Hulu and Disney Plus on their own, since Disney Plus is $7.99/month.

So even if you're not the kind of sports fan who needs ESPN Plus (it's a must-have for UFC PPVs), the Disney bundle makes sense. The Disney Bundle is less than $8 cheaper than signing up for all three of these services together ($21.97/month).

Of course, this price will go up at some point, but then you can cancel ESPN Plus. That's the perk of a monthly plan.

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