Today Hulu launched a $12 monthly tier that offers ad-free streaming similar to what Netflix and Amazon Prime offered all along.
Previously, subscribers only had the option to pay $8 per month for full content access with “limited ads.” That plan, which frustrated many users, continues to exist.
Of course, there’s always a caveat: “Due to streaming rights,” Hulu’s new plan isn’t totally ad-free. That’s right. Some shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, New Girl, and Scandal, will still display ads “before and after each episode,” Hulu explained.
Here’s Hulu’s pricing breakdown now:
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- Totally free: Limited access to content, plus about three 30-second ads every half-hour
- $7.99: Full access to content, plus about two 30-second ads every half-hour
- $11.99: Full access to content, no ads, with the exception of the following shows “due to streaming rights” — Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, New Girl, Grimm, and How To Get Away With Murder — during which Hulu says it will play “a short commercial before and after each episode.”
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