In today’s Q1 earnings report, Disney announced new subscriber numbers for Hulu. Hulu added 1.5 million subscribers during the quarter and ended the year with 45.3 million total subscribers. That number includes 4.3 million subscribers for Hulu with Live TV, up from 4 million in the previous quarter.
With these updated numbers, Hulu with Live has likely kept its place as the top live TV streaming service in the U.S. with 4.3 million subscribers. The next biggest is likely YouTube TV, though Google hasn’t released subscriber numbers for the service since October 2020 when the company gave a ballpark number of 3 million subscribers. Sling TV’s most recent subscriber count was 2.55 million.
As the quarter was wrapping up, Hulu announced a $5 price hike for its live TV streaming service, bringing the monthly cost to to $69.99 per month. With the price hike, Disney+ and ESPN+ were both added to the Hulu with Live package.
“With this change, you will also get access to Disney+ and ESPN+*. On Disney+, you can watch all the amazing content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Nat Geo, plus The Simpsons. And ESPN+ has even more live sports and the award winning 30 For 30 library,” Hulu shared in a message to subscribers.
After the price hike, Hulu with Live also quietly removed its free trial.
Those changes will be reflected in this quarter’s financial results when they’re reported in the spring.