How to watch live TV on Hulu and how much it costs

• Hulu + Live TV offers over 60 live channels including CBS, Food Network, ESPN, and Disney, plus Hulu's entire streaming catalogue, starting at $44.99 a month.
• Upgrade to Hulu Premium + Live TV for only $6 more a month to experience Hulu's streaming catalogue ad-free.
• It comes with the ability to record live TV to stream on-demand with up to 50 hours of storage at no additional cost.

Hulu + Live TV recently saved my life. Well maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it definitely saved my Shark Week. Shark Week is a huge deal in my house. My partner and I dedicate our whole week to observing these majestic creatures in their natural habitats and cheering on the brave and dedicated scientists, researchers, and divers who make it all possible. This year was to be no different. But we'd recently moved apartments and switched cable providers, so when I went to turn on Discovery moments before the first episode of Shark Week 2019 was set to begin, I was stunned to learn the channel didn't come with our cable package. It always had before, so I didn't think to check beforehand. Now Shark Week was moments away, the popcorn was already popped, and I was at a loss.

I needed something that would get me access to the Discovery Channel and my beautiful breaching apex predators instantly. I thought about finding an illegal stream online, but those were unreliable … and illegal, so I thought better of it. I thought about calling my cable provider and upgrading to a package that included Discovery, but that would've made my cable bill skyrocket. And then I remembered Hulu has a Live TV add-on, and I was thrilled to see the Discovery logo prominently displayed in their channel list. I already had a Hulu Premium subscription and the app was already installed on my smart TV, so all I had to do was click into my account settings and toggle on the Hulu + Live TV option. Within seconds we were blissfully watching great whites hunt robo-seals. It was that easy.

Hulu + Live TV is a great option if you're looking into cord-cutting thanks to the sheer volume of content you gain access to. Plus you can record TV to watch later, DVR-style, so you don't have to worry about catching your shows as they air live. We used this option to make sure we didn't miss a single sharky moment.

How much does Hulu + Live TV cost?

With Hulu + Live TV, you first and foremost, gain access to Hulu's entire streaming catalogue - all the shows, movies, and Hulu originals that you get with a normal Hulu subscription are yours to enjoy. If you can tolerate ads interrupting your stream, Hulu Basic + Live TV will set you back $44.99 a month after the free one-week trial. If you want to upgrade to the ad-free Hulu Premium service, you'll pay $50.99 a month - still much less than the average $107 a month people spend on cable. You'll always have to sit through ads during your live TV stream, however. After all, it's live TV and there are commercials.

Free with Hulu + Live TV is up to 50 hours of storage so you can record your favorite shows to watch them later. You can also rewind shows that have already started back to the beginning so you don't have to worry about rushing home to catch the first five minutes of the new episode of The Bachelor. If 50 hours doesn't seem like enough, because you want to horde the entire new season of Real Housewives and your roommate wants to record every Crimson Tide football game, you can upgrade to 200 hours of DVR storage for an additional $4.99 a month for the first three months and then $9.99 a month after that.

You can also add on premium channels like HBO ($14.99/mo.), Showtime ($10.99/mo.), Cinemax ($9.99/mo.), and Starz ($8.99/mo.) for additional monthly charges. Hulu + Live TV also offers add-on packages that include additional entertainment channels ($7.99/mo.) and Spanish language channels ($4.99/mo.).

What channels come with Hulu + Live TV?

Discovery is just one of the more than 60 channels that come with Hulu + Live TV.

You'll gain access to cable networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, so you can keep up with your favorite sitcoms and news programs. Also included are lifestyle channels like TLC, HGTV, and Food Network.

And if you've somehow missed Hulu's ubiquitous ad campaign: Hulu has live sports. Channels like ESPN, NBCSN, and the SEC Network are at your disposal so you'll never miss a kick-off, or tip-off, or puck drop ever again.

They offer local channels as well, so be sure to enter your zip code to see what else you'll get based on your geographic location. The full list is far too long to list here, so check out Hulu's website to make sure all your favorites are included. They're listed in alphabetical order, to help you quickly find what you're looking for.

How do I stream Hulu + Live TV?

Most smart TV's come with the Hulu app already installed, so once you sign up online or modify your account to add the Live TV package, you'll be able to stream instantly through your Hulu app. Check out our recommendations for the best 4K Smart TV's if you're looking to make the switch. It's incredibly convenient to be able to stream Hulu and all other streaming sites without any additional hardware or plugins.

You can always access the Hulu app through streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, or the Amazon Fire Stick, and as always, you can stream on your phone or laptop instantly.

Sign up for Hulu + Live TV here for $44.99 a month