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Hulu Live TV vs Philo

Quick answer

Hulu Live TV is the premium all-rounder with sports and locals; Philo is the budget champion for entertainment-only cord-cutters who don't care about ESPN.

Our pick
Hulu Live TV
The everything bundle — sports, news, locals, and on-demand in one pricey package.
4.2★
VS
Philo
The no-frills, no-sports, no-excuses cheap live TV option for binge-watchers.
3.6★
Starting Price
~$83/mo (with ads)
~$28/mo
Live Channels
90+ channels
70+ channels
Local Channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX)
Yes, in most markets
No locals at all
Sports (ESPN, FS1, NFL Network)
Yes — ESPN family included
No sports channels
DVR Storage
Unlimited (with base plan)
Unlimited, saves for 1 year
Simultaneous Streams
2 (unlimited screens add-on ~$18/mo)
3 included
On-Demand Library
Massive — full Hulu streaming catalog
Limited on-demand extras
Free Trial
3 days
7 days
Disney+/ESPN+ Bundle Option
Yes, bundle available
No
Contract / Cancellation
No contract, cancel anytime
No contract, cancel anytime
Supported Devices
Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, web, Smart TVs
Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, web, Smart TVs
News Channels (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC)
Yes
Yes

Hulu Live TV

DVR Quality★★★★☆
Ease of Use★★★★☆
Pricing Value★★½☆☆
Device Support★★★★½
Sports Coverage★★★★½
Channel Selection★★★★★
On-Demand Library★★★★★

Philo

DVR Quality★★★★½
Ease of Use★★★★½
Pricing Value★★★★★
Device Support★★★★☆
Sports Coverage★☆☆☆☆
Channel Selection★★★☆☆
On-Demand Library★★★☆☆

Worth knowing

Philo is named after Philo Farnsworth, the guy who invented the TV — so they named the cheapest live TV service after the man who started it all. Poetic.

If you want

You want sports, local news, and a massive on-demand library

Hulu Live TV is one of the few streamers with ESPN *and* local ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX — worth the premium if those matter.

→ Pick Hulu Live TV
If you want

You just want cable-style entertainment channels on a tight budget

Philo gives you HGTV, MTV, Comedy Central, and 70+ channels for $28 — it's genuinely hard to beat.

→ Pick Philo
If you want

You have a family and need multiple streams without paying extra

Philo includes 3 simultaneous streams by default; Hulu charges extra to go beyond 2.

→ Pick Philo
If you want

You want to ditch Netflix AND cable in one subscription

The Hulu + Live TV + Disney+ bundle replaces multiple services and actually makes the high price feel justified.

→ Pick Hulu Live TV
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