Hulu’s Live TV Service to Cost $39.99 a Month with Limited DVR

Hulu’s live TV service is rumored to cost $39.99 a month. That price point is in line with an earlier promise made by Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins that a subscription would cost “under $40” per month. It’s due for release sometime this spring, and will feature an option to pay extra for full cloud DVR support, which allows you to save live programs in a queue for later viewing.

The base streaming TV package will be supported by ads and come with only a limited amount of cloud DVR storage (e.g. no fast-forwarding capabilities). The add-on for full DVR functions will cost under $20 more, according to Techcrunch, and support 200 hours of storage as well as unlimited streaming. There may, however, be a limit imposed on the number of simultaneous streaming outside of the home.

The entry-level bundle will also come with access to Hulu’s on-demand library, Hulu Originals, live network broadcasts, as well as on-demand content offered by Hulu’s broadcast network partners, Techcrunch reports. To entice users, Hulu has inked a bunch of deals with CBS, Fox, and ABC to expand its live TV offerings. You can also pay extra for premium channels like Showtime and HBO.

“To build a successful live TV service, you have to have viewers’ favorite sports and shows — and CBS’ programming is absolutely vital to that mix,” Hopkins announced earlier. “With 21st Century Fox, Disney, Turner and now CBS on board, our new live service will offer one of the most valuable sports, news and entertainment lineups anywhere – from ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and TNT to ABC, CBS, FOX and The Disney Channel.”

For those who want a skinnier bundle, Hulu may allow users to pay less for a standalone live TV streaming subscription that doesn’t include access to on-demand content. Subscriptions to Hulu’s on-demand library of movies and TV shows currently cost $7.99 a month with ads, or $11.99 a month for commercial-free viewing.

Hulu, which released a teaser page for its streaming service last month, has been billing it as a go-to hub for live sports, news, and on-demand content that will be beamed directly to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop via the internet. It will be compatible with platforms like iOS, Xbox, the fourth-generation Apple TV, and Android. While the exact release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, Hulu’s upcoming cable TV competitor will be entering an increasingly crowded streaming TV space that includes Youtube TV, Sling TV, and Playstation Vue, all of which already support cloud DVR.