Bottom line: Is Hulu + Live TV or AT&T TV better?
Hulu + Live TV speaks to all the strengths of streaming: a full on-demand library, the most popular shows for cheap, and plenty of space to record your favorite live shows.
Meanwhile, AT&T TV has made backward changes that draw too much on its satellite TV origins—complete with bloated packages and pricey add-ons.
All things considered, we think Hulu + Live TV is better than AT&T TV.
Free trials and deals
Hulu + Live TV
There are no current deals for Hulu + Live TV, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial.
AT&T TV
Same deal here—there are no current AT&T TV deals, but there is a free seven-day trial available.
Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
What's the difference?
Data as of post date. Offers subject to change.
* Not including add-ons. Additional channels and features may be available for additional fees.
♱ Some restrictions apply.
AT&T TV prices and packages
| Packages | Channel count | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLUS | 45+* | $65/mo. | |
| MAX | 60+* | $80/mo. | |
| ENTERTAINMENT | 65+* | $93/mo. | |
| CHOICE | 85+* | $110/mo. | |
| XTRA | 105+* | $124/mo. | |
| ULTIMATE | 125+* | $135/mo. | |
| OPTIMO MÁS | 90+ | $86/mo. |
Data as of post date. Offers subject to change.
Both Hulu Live plans have the same channels. But with Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, you won’t get ads during your on-demand shows. It’s a pretty simple lineup, but it does make your decision-making process easier.
AT&T TV, on the other hand, has seven packages—more than any other streaming live TV provider we could find. And some inclusions, like local and premium channels, are available only with select packages.
There’s also the drawback of how expensive AT&T TV’s plans are, considering the following:
- Most streaming providers charge an average of $0.60 per channel.
- AT&T TV’s main packages cost $1.08–$1.44 per channel, even on packages that don’t include premium channels.
- Hulu Live’s standard plan is $0.80 per channel.
- Hulu Live’s no-ads plan is $0.88.
Sure, Hulu Live’s prices are a bit above average, but you also get Hulu’s massive on-demand library with your subscription.
There are no two ways about the numbers here—Hulu Live is the clear winner when it comes to price.
Live channels: Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
Data as of post date. Offers subject to change.
Our numbers here are just a bit different than what you might see on the providers’ web pages. Instead of using the advertised channel count, we went through and counted every channel on our own—that’s how much we love you.
As of the time of this article, AT&T TV has at least 46 more available channels than Hulu Live. That’s certainly nothing to turn your nose up at. In fact, only fuboTV and Sling TV have more channels than AT&T TV, with 182 and 266 total channels respectively.
But of course, channel count really matters only if they’re channels you like to watch. Check the lineups before you decide:
Premium channels: Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
| Hulu + Live TV | AT&T TV | |
|---|---|---|
| HBO | $14.99/mo. | $15/mo. |
| CINEMAX® | $9.99/mo. | $11/mo. |
| SHOWTIME® | $10.99/mo. | $11/mo. |
| STARZ® | $8.99/mo. | $11/mo. |
| Entertainment Add-On | $7.99/mo. | – |
| Español Add-On | $4.99/mo. | – |
| AT&T TV NOW Deportes | – | $5/mo. |
| AT&T TV NOW Español | – | $10/mo. |
Data as of 12/18/19. Offers subject to change.
Have you ever seen a penny and just been annoyed? We have—right now, actually.
One cent shouldn’t be a big deal, but when HBO Max is available for $14.99, you think everyone would offer it at $14.99. Except AT&T TV wants to charge you an extra penny for HBO Max (maybe because AT&T owns HBO).
It’s even harder to swallow all that knowing AT&T TV’s old HBO price was only $5 per month.
Admittedly, HBO comes included with AT&T TV’s featured PLUS and MAX packages. And sure, MAX has CINEMAX too. But if you get any other packages, expect to pay full price.
When it comes to affordable premium channel add-ons, the only streaming provider that beats any of Hulu Live’s prices is Sling TV with its $10 SHOWTIME add-on. But otherwise, Hulu Live is still the best there is.
Sports
AT&T TV has several more sports channels than Hulu: FOX Deportes, GolTV, NBA TV, Tennis Channel, TVG, and Univision Deportes. It’s the better choice when it comes to Spanish-language sports programming.
But both have great sports interfaces that make it easy for you to find live games and follow your favorite teams.
Still, neither provider has Pac-12 Networks. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, you can find those channels on fuboTV or Sling TV.
| Channels | Hulu + Live TV | AT&T TV |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ |
| Big Ten Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN Deportes | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN 2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPNEWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPNU | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Deportes | ✗ | ✓ |
| FS1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| FS2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| GolTV | ✗ | ✓ |
| Golf Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
| NBA TV | ✗ | ✓ |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ |
| NBCSN | ✓ | ✓ |
| SEC Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tennis Channel | ✗ | ✓ |
| TNT | ✓ | ✓ |
| TVG | ✗ | ✓ |
| Univision Deportes | ✗ | ✓ |
Original series
Last year, Hulu had 27 Primetime Emmy® Award nominations for shows like The Handmaid’s Tale; The Looming Tower; I Love You, America; and March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step.
And with over 60 original shows, you’ll probably find something you like. Lots of them are well known enough that you’ll find someone by the water cooler who wants to talk about Hulu Originals with you.
AT&T TV, on the other hand, shuttered its original AUDIENCE Network programming this spring. Although it couldn’t hold a candle to Hulu Originals, we still miss some AT&T original shows like Loudermilk.
Now let’s look at each service in terms of specs and features.
Specs and features
Before you sign up for a streaming service, it’s important to know a few things: Do you already own a compatible streaming device? How much cloud DVR storage does it have? How many users can stream simultaneously? Is the interface intuitive?
We answer those questions below. But if you want to do some hands-on virtual tire-kicking, a trial is a great way to do that. Both Hulu Live and AT&T TV offer free seven-day test-drives.
Compatible devices: Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
| Device | Hulu + Live TV | AT&T TV |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire tablet | ✓ | ✗ |
| Android mobile devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromecast | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS mobile devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| iPod touch | ✓ | ✓ |
| LG TV Smart TVs (select models) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mac computers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nintendo Switch | ✓ | ✗ |
| PlayStation 3 | ✗ | ✗ |
| PlayStation 4 | ✗ | ✗ |
| Roku devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Samsung Smart TVs (select models) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vizio SmartCast TV (select models) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wii | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wii U | ✗ | ✗ |
| Windows computers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows 10 phones | ✗ | ✗ |
| Xbox 360 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Xbox One | ✓ | ✗ |
You can find Hulu Live on more streaming devices than AT&T TV, including the charming Nintendo Switch.
(This writer finds the Switch to be the perfect size for streaming during bubble baths, but CableTV.com doesn’t advocate taking $300 electrical devices into the tub with you.)
If you use Android TV, Amazon Fire devices, or Windows phones, pass on AT&T TV because you’d need different devices to support it. And we don’t think AT&T TV is worth buying new devices for.
Cloud DVR: Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
| Hulu + Live TV | AT&T TV | |
|---|---|---|
| Included with package | 50 hrs. (unlimited days) | 500 hrs. |
| Add-on | 200 hrs. for $9.99/mo. | n/a |
Data as of post date. Offers subject to change.
When it comes to cloud DVR storage space, it’s important to note that cloud DVRs tend to come in one of two setups:
- Limited hours of storage space saved for an unlimited time
- Unlimited hours of storage saved for a limited time
TBH, AT&T TV’s 500-hour cloud DVR trounces Hulu Live’s paltry 50-hour cloud DVR. This is probably the only category in which AT&T TV has the edge.
So, if recording a shload of shows and movies is your top priority, go with AT&T TV.
User experience: Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV
| Hulu + Live TV | AT&T TV | |
|---|---|---|
| Channel guide | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live playback features | ✓ | ✗ |
| Commercial skipping | ✗ | ✗ |
| Max. multiple streams | Unlimited ($9.99 mo.)* | 3 |
*Some restrictions apply
We tend to put price, channels, and supported devices first when it comes to streaming services. But you also want to make sure you enjoy using the service, and which is how channel guide, playback features, and simultaneous streams come into play.
Channel guide
Hulu Live seems to bank on you searching for or knowing your favorite shows and channels, and if you don’t, it can be a struggle to navigate.
That’s a lot of responsibility to put on you, so AT&T TV’s more classic guide is the winner here.
Hulu + Live TV channel guide on a desktop computer.
While Hulu Live’s guide is simple, it’s hard to see what shows are coming up. Playing your video when you’re using the guide is nice, but AT&T TV NOW’s smaller window plays just as well without leaving you in the dark about what’s coming up.
AT&T TV’s channel guide on a desktop computer.
When it comes to TV guides, AT&T TV’s traditionalism pays off. You can look days ahead or behind to see everything happening on live TV.
And for even better usability, you can click on a title that isn’t playing at the moment to bring up a series card. From there, you can learn more about the show and its available on-demand episodes.
With such a user-friendly guide, AT&T TV makes both browsing and planning your TV time a cinch.
Interface
The interfaces of Hulu Live and AT&T TV are similar. They both recommend plenty of great shows to watch and help you pick up where you left off in previous sessions.
We prefer Hulu Live here because of its browsing tab. When you select a genre, you’ve got personalized recommendations, live TV, and on-demand series all in one place.
With all the options streaming live TV can give you, it’s good to have some direction.
Playback features and commercial skipping
For live TV watching, Hulu Live makes it easy to pause, rewind as far as the beginning of the episode, and fast-forward to what’s airing right now. But once the commercials start playing, you’re stuck.
You get a commercial countdown, though, so at least you know they won’t last forever.
AT&T TV, on the other hand, has a pause feature, and that’s about it. With some shows, you can restart an episode from the beginning, but you can’t rewind or fast-forward at all.
So while Hulu Live’s features aren’t everything we dream of, it’s got enough features to keep us from worrying about someone walking in front of the TV at a pivotal point.
Multiple streams
The number of streams is a close match for us. Both AT&T TV and Hulu Live come with two included streams. You can upgrade to three streams on AT&T TV for $5 per month.
We like that price point, but families may need more streams than that.
Hulu Live’s upgrade gives you unlimited screens on your home Wi-Fi, plus three on-the-go streams. At $9.99 per month, this upgrade is twice the cost of AT&T TV’s, but you can do a lot more with it.
The total user experience
Even though AT&T TV has the superior channel guide, Hulu Live’s overall interface, playback features, and available streams will give you the better experience—once you find what you’re looking for.
Final take: Hulu + Live TV takes the crown
We like that AT&T TV includes premium channels in its cheaper packages, and that the service doesn’t skimp when it comes to sports. That’s just not enough for it to outshine Hulu Live.
In almost every category, Hulu Live shows a better understanding of what users want from a streaming service—and a willingness to give it to them. That’s why Hulu Live beats AT&T TV in this matchup. It’s also why it’s CableTV.com’s pick for best value streaming service.
But you don’t have to trust our research alone. Sign up for a free seven-day trial of both services and see what you think.
Hulu + Live TV vs. AT&T TV FAQ
Do I need a satellite dish for Hulu + Live TV or AT&T TV?
No, streaming live TV uses an internet connection to work, not traditional TV methods.
You’ll only need a satellite dish if you use satellite internet, which is common mostly in rural areas.
Is Hulu + Live TV or AT&T TV better?
We think, given its price, channel selection, and original shows and movies, Hulu + Live TV is a better value than AT&T TV.
