In this comparison, we’ll be comparing three different areas of YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. That’s price, channel lineup and features. Those are the things that really matter the most. So without further ado, let’s get started.
YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV
Pricing
As you probably noticed, pricing for both services is pretty similar. Hulu + Live TV is $5 more per month, but it’s worth it. And here’s why. Hulu + Live TV adds all of the content that Hulu has, plus it includes Disney+ and ESPN+ at that $69.99 per month price. Disney+ is going to $9.99 per month in October 2022, and ESPN+ is also now $9.99 per month. Making that extra $5 a really great deal. YouTube TV started at $35 per month, but as it started adding more and more channels, it was forced to raise prices. Some customers are still upset with the current pricing since YouTube TV lost the Bally Sports channels (due to Sinclair wanting to build a streaming service), and the price stayed the same. Typically sports is the biggest cost for streaming Live TV services. Both are also available on virtually every platform you can think of. So pricing isn’t really a factor for either of these services.
Channel Lineups
We’ve actually already compared the channel lineups for YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV (as well as a few other services) in this article here. But for the most part, the channel lineups are very similar. Both of them have all of your local channels. That includes ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. YouTube TV does have a slight edge in offering PBS channels, something that Hulu + Live TV does not yet have. One thing that Hulu + Live TV has over YouTube TV is it has the A&E Networks. That includes: A&E, The HISTORY Channel, Crime + Investigation, History2, BLAZE, Lifetime, LMN, FYI, Vice TV and History en Espanol. So how does YouTube TV have 10 more channels than Hulu + Live TV then? Well, some of the channels that Hulu has put into add-ons, YouTube TV includes in the base package. Like BET Her, CNBC World, Nicktoons, MTV2, and a few others. It also has a few more news networks like BBC World and BBC America to name a few. Basically, the channels are almost identical here. The big difference is the A&E networks on Hulu, which YouTube TV does not have. And most other streaming services don’t have either.
Features
How do these services differentiate themselves? Easy. With features. So let’s go over the features of each service.
YouTube TV
The big one that separated YouTube TV for quite some time was the unlimited cloud DVR. Allowing you to record virtually anything and everything. It’s still available, however some competitors are starting to offer unlimited DVR now, making it less of a differentiator. YouTube TV does also let you share your account with up to six accounts. And each user can log into their own Google account to access YouTube TV. Instead of sharing passwords. Making it a lot more secure. You do get three simultaneous streams with the base package, but if you add the 4K add-on, that jumps to unlimited streams. There’s support for Picture-in-Picture on mobile (Android and iOS) as well. So you can watch the game while keeping up with Twitter too. YouTube TV does offer multiple channel sorting, which is something that is small but a big deal. YouTube TV lets you customize the order yourself, or you can sort by most watched, or in alphabetical order. These are just a few of the many features that YouTube TV has.
Hulu + Live TV
Like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV also has an unlimited DVR. So you can record as much as you want, as often as you want. Hulu + Live TV offers fewer concurrent streams than YouTube TV with just 2, but you can upgrade and change that to unlimited. But it works a little different here. You get unlimited screens at home, and 3 when you’re on the go. You can also add up to six users to your account here. Don’t forget that Hulu + Live TV also includes the entire Hulu catalog, which is quite large and significantly larger than the on-demand catalog that YouTube TV has. These are just a few of the features that Hulu + Live TV has.
Which is the better option?
YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are so evenly matched, that’s it is pretty tough to choose one over the other. What it really comes down to is, do you want Hulu (on-demand), Disney+ and/or ESPN+? If you do, then Hulu + Live TV is the better option, since it is a lot cheaper than getting those three with YouTube TV. Otherwise, YouTube TV is going to be the better option. There’s a reason why these two are the two biggest streaming Live TV services out there, because they are so good.
