Hulu to carry live television through Disney, Fox bundle packages (update)

Hulu is working with Disney and 20th Century Fox to offer a subscription service to stream live broadcast and cable television channels, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Citing "people familiar with the plans," the Wall Street Journal says channels such as ESPN, Fox News, the Disney Channel and Fox's sports networks would be available in bundle packages. This would not only give subscribers the option to watch series already available on demand via Hulu, but also the ability to watch live sports (including NFL, NBA and NHL games).

NBCUniversal — which has a stake in Polygon's parent company, Vox Media — is also a partial owner in Hulu, but the network has not yet agreed to license any of its channels for livestreaming on the service. If the network executives were to change their mind, however, that would mean that people could live stream an event like the Olympics in full through their Hulu account.

Disney and Fox haven't said how much a bundle like this would cost, but the Wall Street Journal, citing an executive close to Hulu, said the price could be around $40 per month.

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It's also not too big of a saving for those looking to cut the cord once and for all. While the lack of a major incentive outside of streaming might seem questionable, Disney and Fox are looking into other avenues to attract monthly subscribers. Moving everything toward an online, streaming platform while retaining live viewers through bundle packages may be the next step for each company. The service would also allegedly allow subscribers to maintain a cloud-based recording program that would let the user to record a show they may have miss earlier and watch it at a later time.

Hulu may be one of the more accessible options for people looking to make the jump to streaming, but it's not the first. Disney and Fox programs are also currently available through PlayStation's Vue service, which includes live airing of series on channels like ESPN and the Disney Channel. Vue is currently available for $39.99, which includes broadcast networks, making the estimated $40 price of the new Hulu addition competitive at best.

There's currently no estimated date for when the livestreaming option could become available to Hulu users.

Update: Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins confirmed May 4 during an upfront presentation that the company was working with multiple networks to bring live "entertainment, sports and events" to the streaming service next year.