Hulu today announced that Android TV would be added to its list of supported platforms for its live TV bundle. Starting next month, owners of an Android TV-compatible television or set-top box, like the Nvidia Shield, can access Hulu’s bundle, which includes its streaming-only offerings in addition to more than 60 channels of live programming. Additionally, Hulu is also bringing its refreshed user interface to Android TV with the update.
The service costs $44.99 a month, and it’s positioned as a competitor to other so-called skinny bundle services like Sony’s PlayStation Vue, Sling, and YouTube TV. Hulu, however, has the added benefit of offering its core streaming options, which makes it a slightly more attractive service. Back in March, Hulu with Live TV was reported as having nearly 2 million subscribers, putting it well ahead of YouTube and PlayStation Vue.
This is arguably overdue. Hulu’s live TV has been available on other platforms for a long time, including most other media players, some smart TVs, desktops and consoles. Android TV isn’t the largest platform, but it has a sizeable base thanks in no small part to Sony’s support. Those users now don’t have to subscribe to another service, use another device or otherwise jump through hoops just to get an internet-only live TV package.
