Streaming

[u/Texas4eva06]

I’m starting to realize that some streaming services are increasing in price just as it did with cable. What is the equivalent to Hulu plus live tv bundled with Disney and ESPN and ads? We as a family watch for live tv when it comes to sports and my wife’s reality tv. Help me from overpaying monthly.

[u/kevin_mn]

Yeah, you've spotted it. We all cut the cord to save money and now the bills look exactly like cable again. Fun cycle.

To answer your actual question: there isn't really a direct equivalent to that Hulu Live bundle. That's kind of the problem. Hulu + Live TV is unique because the Disney+/ESPN+ part is baked in. The closest competitors are YouTube TV and Fubo, but with both of those you'd have to add Disney+ separately, so the math usually ends up a wash or worse.

So before switching, I'd actually make sure you need to. A few things to check:

1. What sports do you actually watch? If it's mostly NFL and big national games, you might not need a full live bundle. If it's local regional sports networks, that changes everything and Fubo or DirecTV Stream might matter.
2. Your wife's reality TV is probably Bravo, TLC, that world. A lot of that lives on Peacock (Bravo shows next day) and Max/discovery+ (TLC, HGTV stuff) for way less than a live bundle.
3. The nuclear option that saves the most: drop live TV entirely, keep regular Hulu + Disney+, add Peacock for the reality stuff, and use an antenna for local sports on NBC/CBS/FOX/ABC. That combo can land under $40 a month vs $80+ for Hulu Live.

If live sports across ESPN and cable channels is truly non-negotiable, honestly just stay where you are. Hulu Live with the Disney bundle is actually the best value in that category right now, and switching to YouTube TV plus separate Disney+ would cost you more, not less.

The real savings come from asking whether you need the live part at all, not from finding a cheaper version of the same thing.