'How many people can watch Hulu at once?': An unlimited amount, with the right subscription - here's what you need to know
- By default, up to two people can watch a Hulu account at once, meaning that you can stream on two different devices simultaneously.
- There are exceptions to this rule, however, depending on which Hulu tier you're subscribed to, which devices you're using, and where you are.
- If you want to get rid of the limits on how many people can watch one Hulu account, you'll need to have a Hulu + Live TV subscription and pay an extra $9.99 a month for an "Unlimited Screens" add-on.
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Sharing the costs of a streaming service by sharing passwords with friends and family is common. As many as one in five adults do it.
Although this is great for consumers, streaming companies aren't so happy about missing out on potential customers.
Hulu is no different. Although they used to only allow users on the basic plan to watch on one device at once, you can now watch on two devices. You can create up to six profiles for your family and friends, but you'll still be limited to two simultaneous streams.
However, this isn't the case for all Hulu subscription tiers. Here's what you need to know.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Hulu Basic Subscription (From $5.99 per month)
Hulu + Live TV Subscription (From $44.99 per month)
Hulu watching limits, explained
Hulu has a number of different subscription tiers, each of which has its own limits and add-ons.
If you're subscribed to Hulu with Ads ($5.99 per mo.) or ad-free Hulu ($11.99 per month), you'll be permanently limited to two simultaneous streams at once.
However, if you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV for $44.99 per month or Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV for $50.99 month, you can subscribe to the "Unlimited Screens" add-on for an additional $9.99 per month.
This allows you to share Hulu with as many devices as you'd like, but only if those devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network - called your "Home network."
This package also allows you to stream Hulu on up to three mobile devices outside of the Home network, but these devices have to "check in" with the Home network at least once every 30 days in order for the service to continue working.
So for most cord-cutters, the cost of Unlimited Screens and Live TV, along with their restrictions, won't solve the problem of sharing accounts.
If you're sharing with more than one other heavy user of the services, you may want to consider buying your own independent subscription.
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How to cancel your Hulu subscription, or temporarily pause it for up to 12 weeks
How to watch Hulu + Live TV on Roku, and stream over 60 live channels from one app