Michael Crider
It seems like we’re often reporting on streaming TV services losing access to channels. Today we get the happy duty of reporting the opposite: Hulu + Live TV is actually getting more channels, thanks to a renewed contract with ViacomCBS. And surprisingly, we’re not talking about the kind of cable detritus that never gets watched: this is the primo stuff.
TechCrunch reports that fourteen new channels in all will be added to Hulu+ Live TV, in addition to the 62 on its current list (give or take a few based on your local affiliates). Here are the new ones:
- BET
- BET Her
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Nick Jr.
- Nickelodeon
- NickToons
- MTV
- MTV2
- MTV Classic
- Paramount Network
- TeenNick
- TV Land
- VH1
On top of these new arrivals, the deal will allow Hulu + Live TV to keep access to local CBS and The CW broadcast affiliates, the CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, the Smithsonian Channel, and some content from Showtime.
There’s no indication of precisely when the new channels will appear on Hulu + Live TV, though these things don’t usually take long. A more pressing question might be: how much is this going to cost? Streaming TV service has a nasty habit of jumping in price unexpectedly, and you can bet that any increase in contractual fees will be passed on to the consumer. Hulu + Live TV has increased prices three times since its 2017 launch, from $35 to $40, $55, and finally $65 a month at the time of writing.
Source: TechCrunch
