Hulu will now offer HBO and Cinemax, but it's going to cost you
Hulu just got a bit cooler.
In case you're still debating whether you want to fork your money over to yet another subscription service, Hulu made its service more tempting by striking a new deal with HBO and Cinemax.
Conveniently just ahead of the premiere of HBO's Game of Thrones on July 16, Hulu users can now add HBO and Cinemax as two separate premium add-ons to their Hulu subscription.
But don't get too excited: It's not like you're saving big bucks.
HBO costs $14.99 per month and Cinemax costs $9.99 per month in addition to a Hulu subscription. Hulu offers three tiers: standard at $7.99 per month, ad-free at $11.99 per month, and $39.99 per month for the latest live TV plan.
HBO Now, the company's standalone service, also costs $14.99 per month on its own. You can also add a HBO subscription to Amazon Prime, DirecTV, and Sling TV for the same cost.
The hook here is that you can create a Hulu bundle that's perhaps more exciting to you than a cable subscription with HBO, or HBO Now by itself, or HBO combined with any of those other services.
The deals are big for Hulu as it tries to woo more cord-cutters to its service, competing with the likes of YouTube, Amazon Video, Netflix, and, of course, traditional cable subscriptions. A recent comScore report revealed that Netflix dominates in viewing times, commanding more than Hulu, Amazon Video, and YouTube combined.
"By combining HBO's iconic programming with our world class user experience and deep content offering, Hulu is giving viewers easy and highly personalized access to the very best of television," Tim Connolly, senior VP and head of distribution and partnerships at Hulu, said in a statement.
"With this important new partnership, fans can now watch Game of Thrones live every Sunday, binge watch all six seasons of The Sopranos or catch up on Westworld alongside our live TV, sports, classic TV shows and Hulu originals — all without ever having to leave the Hulu app," he continued.
Hulu is also competing for subscribers by offering its own exclusive programming, such as The Handmaid's Tale.
Topics Game Of Thrones HBO Hulu Netflix
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
