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Hulu with Live TV is coming to Android TV devices starting next month

Hulu with Live TV is coming to Android TV devices starting next month

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Including the niche but powerful Nvidia Shield

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Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Hulu today announced that Android TV would be added to its list of supported platforms for its live TV bundle. Starting next month, owners of an Android TV-compatible television or set-top box, like the Nvidia Shield, can access Hulu’s bundle, which includes its streaming-only offerings in addition to more than 60 channels of live programming. Additionally, Hulu is also bringing its refreshed user interface to Android TV with the update.

The service costs $44.99 a month, and it’s positioned as a competitor to other so-called skinny bundle services like Sony’s PlayStation Vue, Sling, and YouTube TV. Hulu, however, has the added benefit of offering its core streaming options, which makes it a slightly more attractive service. Back in March, Hulu with Live TV was reported as having nearly 2 million subscribers, putting it well ahead of YouTube and PlayStation Vue.

For many existing subscribers to Hulu with Live TV, this shouldn’t be a groundbreaking update; the service is available on pretty much every other platform imaginable. But it will mean more to the community of diehard Nvidia Shield fans, a niche but passionate home theater enthusiast group that has rallied around Android TV as a better alternative to the ecosystem options from Apple, Amazon, Roku, and TV manufacturers. Given that Hulu’s live TV offering is more popular out there at the moment, arriving on Android TV, and by extension the Nvidia Shield, might give it a generous boost in new subscribers.