Hulu + Live TV is made for sports fans. With access to channels like CBS, ESPN, and NBC sports network, you can stream everything from NCAA basketball to NASCAR. It also delivers something most streaming providers don’t – live rather than just on-demand sports. But the question on everyone’s mind is, is Hulu good for sports? We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the service, including the good and bad, and exactly what sports are on offer.
Hulu + Live TV plans and sports channels compared
| Hulu + Live TV $64.99/mo. | Sling TV Orange + Blue $45/mo. | fuboTV Standard $54.99/mo. | |
| beIN SPORTS | + $10/mo. | ✔ | |
| Big Ten Network | ✔ | ✔ | |
| CBS | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN 3 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FOX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS2 | ✔ | + $10/mo. | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | ✔ | + $10/mo. | ✔ |
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NFL Network | ✔ | ✔ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $10/mo. | + $10.99/mo. |
Hulu’s live sports coverage stands up well against the competition. It has some of the most popular sports networks on offer, including CBS, FOX, ESPN, and NBC, so there’s something for all sporting tastes, whether you’re into PGA golf, Top Rank Boxing, or NBA basketball.
Hulu’s NFL coverage, however, is somewhat limited — it doesn’t have NFL Network or NFL RedZone, for example. This means you might miss out on some exclusive NFL games, but you can still watch most of these on CBS, ESPN, and FOX – all included in a Hulu + Live TV subscription.
For even more choice, you can sign up for the Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu + Live TV bundle for $61.99/mo. This means you get full access to exclusive Disney+ content, plus on-demand programming and live sports from ESPN+, including golf, boxing, soccer, tennis, and more. There are also game analysis and behind-the-scenes footage.
Hulu + Live TV sports streaming highlights
Hulu + Live TV has tons to offer and is a great choice for those who don’t want to miss out on their favorite live sports.
Broad channel lineup
Hulu + Live TV is well-suited for general audiences, offering content from nearly every sport you can think of, such as basketball, cricket, golf, motorsports, softball, and tennis. From NCAA and NBA basketball to Copa America and PGA Golf, Hulu offers tons of live sports. We also ranked Hulu with Live TV the best overall streaming service for sports.
Many other streaming services appeal to sporting niches, or only target one specific audience, so with Hulu + Live TV, you’re truly spoil for choice. Along with sports you also get a wide variety of comedy, entertainment, kids, and news content from more than 65 channels.
You even get access to regional sports networks with Hulu, so you can watch local games without cable. To see if it offers local channels in your region, contact Hulu directly.
Record live TV
You get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, which means you can record live sports on Hulu and watch recorded games later on any supported device. Hulu is compatible with several devices, including mobile phones, Android TVs, iOS devices, smart TVs, and even Roku devices and Xbox Ones. You can also set your account to automatically record games from certain teams, too. That way, even if you forget, Hulu won’t.
All of your recordings are held until your storage is full, which is a huge plus. Most other streaming services set a time limit of 30 days or more, so you’re restricted as to when you can watch them back. Once your storage runs out, you can either delete recordings or upgrade to 200 hours of cloud DVR for an additional $9.99/mo.
Personalize your experience
You can add multiple profiles to your Hulu account, as well as customize your TV experience, which keeps it tailored to you and what you enjoy.
Based on what you select as your interests, the Hulu app recommends different games and lets you know when a game is upcoming, so you can get ready to stream it live. So if you don’t want to miss MLS Soccer or NBA matchups, make sure you add your favorite team to your list so you can watch every game back later.
Hulu + Live TV sports streaming limitations
Hulu + Live TV also comes with some drawbacks that you should be aware of.
For individuals, not families
Although Hulu + Live TV offers 2 simultaneous connections, that might not be enough for a larger household. You can upgrade to unlimited screens at home and 3 mobile devices on the go, but it’ll cost you an extra $9.99/mo.
Ads
Your Hulu + Live TV subscription includes ads, which you’ll have with any streaming service that offers live TV. On-demand shows and movies will also have ads, too. You can record live broadcasts and fast forward through commercials — but remember that your subscription only comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage so you may run out quickly.
You can always upgrade to the Hulu + Live TV no-ads plan, which costs $60.99/mo. Even with the no-ads plan, you’ll still have to sit through commercials when watching some live and on-demand content.
No sports add-ons
Hulu + Live TV appeals to a wide range of sports addicts because it lets you stream cricket, boxing, golf, soccer, tennis, and more. However, there’s no option to add missing sports channels to your plan — as you get with most other streaming services. For example, beIN SPORTS isn’t included, so you could miss out on some soccer and MLW action.
You can add channels like Showtime for $10.99/mo. and Starz for $8.99/mo., but unfortunately, there aren’t any sports channels to customize your subscription with. What you see is what you get.
The final cut: how is Hulu + Live TV for sports streaming?
Hulu + Live TV has nearly everything you could want from a live sports streaming service. You can even sign up for a seven-day free trial and take it for a test run first. However, if you’re specifically after NFL Network, NFL RedZone, or even beIN SPORTS, you’ll probably be better off with a different service. Sling TV is a great option to consider.
It has a ton of channels and a wide variety of sports content, including NFL, NBA, and MLB action. Depending on where you live, you might be able to enjoy local news and sports with a Hulu subscription. If you live in an area where Hulu doesn’t offer live local coverage, you can always use an antenna to stream local sports without cable — Products like HDHomeRun, let you stream live local broadcasts to a variety of TVs and other devices.
