PlayStation 4 Now Has Live Hulu

While PlayStation 4 users have long been able to use Hulu's streaming service on their consoles, [...]

By Marc Deschamps

While PlayStation 4 users have long been able to use Hulu's streaming service on their consoles, the system has not offered the same option for those with Hulu's live TV options. Today, the company began offering the service to PlayStation 4 users. The move comes just over a month after PlayStation's own live TV streaming service, PS Vue, came to an official end. Immediately following the move, YouTube TV was added as an option for the cord-cutter crowd, with Sony pointing PS4 owners towards the service as a potential Vue replacement. At the time, many correctly assumed Hulu's service would follow shortly after.

Sony made the decision to shutter the Vue service last fall, after failing to find a buyer. Launched in 2015, PS Vue was popular with many PlayStation 4 owners, but Sony cited strong competition and network exclusivity deals as a reason for bringing an end to the service. While it's never been officially confirmed, the existence of Sony's first party service likely kept cable replacements such as Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV from coming to PS4. Many fans were sad to see the service come to an end, but PS4 owners now have more options for TV streaming than before, and that should prove to be a good thing, in the long run.

Given Sony's rationale for the death of Vue, it will be interesting to see if more streaming services face similar fates in the next few years. Options like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ remain cheaper than most cable packages, but the a la carte model could become unsustainable if too many options continue to arrive. Of course, most households decide to pick-and-choose between them, with some even canceling and re-subscribing to services as more exclusive programming arrives and departs. At the end of the day, however, it seems inevitable that some platforms won't be able to keep up with the continued demand for more content.

Hulu + Live TV is now available on PlayStation 4. Do you use Hulu + Live TV? Are you happy to see the service on PlayStation 4? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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