Get a Hulu Free Trial in 2026: What Happened to The 30-Day and How to Still Watch Hulu + Live TV for 3-Days Free

Does Hulu Still Have a Free Trial in 2026?

Yes, but only one. The only free trial still available is the 3-day Hulu + Live TV trial, the plan that bundles 100+ live channels with the full Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN.

If you only want Hulu's shows and movies, there's no longer a free way to test them. You'll be charged on day one. If you want live TV and sports, the 3-day trial gives you the same full access as a paying subscriber, with no locked features and no limited library. Cancel before it ends and you won't be charged.

Hulu's Prices Raised in September 2026

Although it happens every year, it always comes as a surprise when it actually happens. Throughout the article you'll notice most of the prices have increased for Hulu plans. As you see this, know that taking advantage of the free trial is still the best way to try out the service before going all in.

What Happened to Hulu's 30-Day Free Trial?

Hulu confirmed to that it permanently discontinued its 30-day free trial for new subscribers in mid-June 2026. It had run on-and-off for 16 years, making it one of the longest-lasting free trials in streaming.

Hulu didn't give an official reason, but the timing lines up neatly with Disney's plan to fold the standalone Hulu app into Disney+ by the end of 2026. Ending the trial is one more sign that the Hulu you know is being absorbed into Disney's larger platform. With the change, Hulu joins Netflix, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, and Peacock, all of which have already dropped their standard free trials.

One heads-up worth repeating: a lot of sites still list the 30-day trial as available. They're simply out of date. Before you enter payment details anywhere, verify the current offer directly at hulu.com.

Hulu + Live TV Free Trial: 3 Days of Live Channels

The Hulu + Live TV trial is short, just 3 days, but it packs far more into the experience than a standard on-demand trial ever did. It's also the smart pick if you're a sports fan, since you can line it up with a football weekend and put the whole lineup through its paces.

What's Included in the 3-Day Live TV Trial

• 100+ live TV channels: ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, NFL Network, MLB Network, CNN, HGTV, Food Network, Disney Channel, and dozens more.
• Full Hulu on-demand library: Every Hulu Original, current-season network episode, and movie in the catalog, the same library the on-demand plans include.
• Disney+ (With Ads): Complete access to the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Nat Geo library.
• ESPN Select: Live sports and originals in the ESPN app (the tier formerly known as ESPN+).
• Unlimited Cloud DVR: Record anything and keep it for up to nine months, with the ability to fast-forward through your recordings.
• Two simultaneous streams: Enough for most households, and upgradable with an add-on after the trial.

What's NOT Included

• Most regional sports networks (RSNs). If you rely on a local RSN for your NBA, MLB, or NHL team, check availability by ZIP code before you sign up. Hulu + Live TV's regional coverage is limited.
• NBA TV and NHL Network. Neither is part of the standard lineup.
• Premium channels. HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, and Cinemax all require separate paid add-ons.
• NFL RedZone. It lives in the Sports Add-on ($9.99/mo), not the base plan.

What Happens When the 3-Day Trial Ends?

Your subscription automatically continues at $99.99/month for the Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV plan, which includes Disney+ and ESPN Select. If you don't want to be charged, cancel before the 3 days are up. You'll keep access through the remainder of the trial even after you cancel.

Pro tip: With football season on, start your trial on a Friday or Saturday. That gives you college football on Saturday and a full slate of NFL games on Sunday, including Sunday Night Football on NBC and Monday Night Football on ESPN, to test the channel lineup, DVR, and stream quality before the 3 days run out. A trial that starts on a Tuesday could be considered a waste from a sports fan.

Start your 3-day Hulu + Live TV free trial today

Who Is Eligible for the Hulu + Live TV Trial?

Not everyone qualifies. Here's how Hulu decides:

• New subscribers who have never had Hulu + Live TV are eligible automatically.
• Eligible returning subscribers who previously canceled may qualify if they have not subscribed to Hulu in the past 12 months.
• Current Hulu subscribers on any plan generally are not eligible. Switching from on-demand to Live TV usually triggers an immediate prorated charge rather than a trial.
• Select third-party-billed subscribers (those billed through a partner rather than Hulu directly) may not qualify.

The simplest way to check is to start the sign-up process at hulu.com. If a trial is available for your account, it will appear at checkout. If it doesn't show up, it isn't available.

How to Sign Up for the Hulu + Live TV Trial

The sign-up takes about two minutes.

Step 1: Go to hulu.com and choose the Hulu + Live TV plan (the one bundled with Disney+ and ESPN for $99.99/month). Hulu's homepage pushes its on-demand plans first, so if you don't see Live TV right away, open the plans and pricing link or the "Hulu + Live TV plans" section and select it there. Confirm the free-trial language appears before you continue.

Step 2: Create your account with an email and password. If you already have a Disney+ or ESPN account, use the same email so everything links.

Step 3: Enter your payment information. A valid credit card, debit card, or PayPal account is required. Before you confirm, check that the total due today reads $0.00, which is how you know the trial applied correctly. You won't be charged until the trial ends.

Step 4: Review the terms, confirm, and start watching. You get full access immediately.

Important: Don't change, upgrade, or add anything to your plan during the trial. Switching plans mid-trial can end it early and trigger a charge.

How to Cancel Before You're Charged

If you decide Hulu + Live TV isn't for you, canceling is straightforward:

Step 1: Log in at hulu.com/account.

Step 2: Scroll to the Your Subscription section.

Step 3: Click Cancel and follow the on-screen prompts.

Step 4: Confirm the cancellation. You'll keep access through the end of your trial period.

Set a reminder on your phone for the morning of day three. A 3-day window moves fast, and a single missed day means the full $99.99 charge.

No Trial? Here Are the Cheapest Ways to Get Hulu in 2026

If you just want Hulu's shows and movies, the trial is gone, but you still have several legitimate ways in for less, or nothing. Here are your best options, ranked roughly by value.

Student Discount: $1.99/month

This is the single best deal in Hulu right now. Verified college students get Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99/month (about 83% off the standard price) through Hulu's student verification, handled by SheerID. It covers on-demand only, not live TV or the bundles, and the offer runs through December 31, 2026.

Subscribe, Watch, Cancel: The Closest Thing to a Trial

With no on-demand trial left, the nearest workaround is to subscribe at $12.49/month, watch for a week or two, and cancel through Account → Cancel if it isn't for you. There are no cancellation fees, and you keep access through the end of the billing period you already paid for. It isn't free, but it's low-risk and completely within Hulu's rules.

Disney Bundles: Two or Three Services in One

If you'd get value out of Disney+ anyway, bundling lowers Hulu's effective cost:

For sports households, the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle is the one to watch, since it packs the full ESPN service in alongside Hulu and Disney+.

Hulu Free Trial vs. Other Streaming Services in 2026

How does Hulu's remaining trial stack up against the best live TV streaming services, and who still offers a trial at all? Here's the current landscape.

The takeaway: Hulu + Live TV has the shortest trial of the major live TV services, but it's the only one that folds three separate streaming services (Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN Select) into a single subscription. 

If trial length matters most to you, YouTube TV's 21 days give you more room to evaluate. If bundled value matters most, Hulu is tough to beat. And if a long free trial is the whole point, Amazon Prime Video still runs a 30-day trial, the last of the big 30-day streaming trials standing, though it's a different service from Hulu.

What To Watch During Your Hulu Free Trial

With only 72 hours, spend them on things you can't easily sample anywhere else.

Live sports (the real reason to time this trial well):

• Whatever's in season on ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, and MLB Network, plus your local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliates for nationally and regionally broadcast games.
• NFL season is underway! NHL and NBA are in preseason or about to start. MLB Playoffs are basically here. If you're a sports fan and you aren't already tapped in, you need a Hulu free trial yesterday.

Top Hulu Originals (on-demand, available instantly):

• The Bear: the Emmy-winning drama set in a high-intensity Chicago restaurant kitchen.
• Only Murders in the Building: the murder-mystery comedy with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez.
• Shōgun: the historical epic that swept the Emmys.
• The Handmaid's Tale: the dystopian series that helped put Hulu on the map.

Final Takeaway: Is the Hulu Free Trial Still Worth It?

If you want live TV and sports, the 3-day Hulu + Live TV trial is well worth testing out. Treat it like a weekend test drive: activate it on a Friday, spend the weekend testing live channels, DVR, and stream quality, and make your decision by Monday after football Sunday. At $99.99/month, you want to be confident the lineup fits before you commit. If it doesn't, there's zero risk. Cancel before the trial ends and you pay nothing.

If you only want Hulu's shows and movies, the free trial is gone, so your best move is the $1.99 student plan (if you qualify), a carrier perk you may have through your cell company, a Disney bundle, or simply subscribing month-to-month and canceling whenever you like with no penalty.

The era of the generous 30-day Hulu trial is over, and with Hulu possibly folding into Disney+ by the end of 2026, there's no guarantee the 3-day Live TV trial sticks around that much longer. If you want it, grab it now.

Get started with Hulu today

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hulu still offer a 30-day free trial?

No. Hulu ended its 30-day free trial for its on-demand plans in June 2026. New subscribers to Hulu (With Ads) and Hulu (No Ads) are now charged at sign-up. The only Hulu free trial that remains is the 3-day trial for Hulu + Live TV.

Is there still a free trial for Hulu + Live TV?

Yes. Hulu + Live TV still offers a 3-day free trial for new and eligible returning subscribers. It includes 100+ live channels, the full Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN Select. After the trial, it renews at $99.99/month unless you cancel.

How do I cancel the Hulu + Live TV free trial before I'm charged?

Log in at hulu.com/account, open the Your Subscription section, click Cancel, and confirm. You will keep access through the end of the trial period, and canceling before the 3 days are up means you will not be charged. Set a reminder for the morning of day three, since a single missed day triggers the full $99.99 charge.

Do you need a credit card to start the Hulu + Live TV free trial?

Yes. Hulu requires a valid credit card, debit card, or PayPal account to activate the trial. You won't be charged until the 3 days end, and canceling before then means you pay nothing.

What live sports can I watch on Hulu + Live TV?

The Hulu + Live TV trial includes ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, MLB Network, and your local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliates, plus ESPN Select and Disney+. Coverage spans the NFL, NBA, MLB, golf, soccer, and more. Note that most regional sports networks (RSNs), along with channels like NBA TV and NHL Network, are not part of the base lineup, so check your local availability by ZIP code first.

Can I watch NFL games during the Hulu + Live TV free trial?

Yes. During the 3-day trial you can watch NFL games on CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network, subject to local availability and blackouts, so timing the trial around NFL Sunday's gets you the most value. Just know that Hulu + Live TV does not include Thursday Night Football (Amazon Prime Video) or out-of-market Sunday afternoon games (YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket), and NFL RedZone requires the paid Sports Add-on.

How much does Hulu cost in 2026?

Hulu (With Ads) is $12.49/month and Hulu (No Ads) is $21.49/month. Hulu + Live TV, which adds 100+ live channels plus Disney+ and ESPN, is $99.99/month. The Disney bundles start at $12.99/month for Disney+ and Hulu together, with the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle at $35.99/month.

Is Hulu merging with Disney+?

Yes. Disney is folding Hulu into the Disney+ app, with the unified experience expected but not guaranteed by the end of 2026. Hulu itself is not going away, so you will still be able to subscribe to it, but you will watch it inside Disney+.