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In June, Hulu joined Paramount+, Peacock and a host of fellow services in eliminating its free trial. And despite upcoming plans to integrate Disney+ and Hulu‘s app experience, TV fans still need to catch the newest Hulu titles (i.e. House of Stassi, The Shards) — and ideally, at a discount (or more ideally, for free). So, while Hulu no longer offers a 30-day trial directly, deal-savvy streamers can take advantage of free or discounted access through partner subscriptions, namely DirecTV, T-Mobile and Disney+, ESPN and/or HBO Max.
More on each option below.
Hulu Free Trial Offers 2026
Starting with the standout promotion: Get free Hulu access through any of DirecTV’s four Signature packages — Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier — since they all include the Hulu, ESPN, Disney+ bundle and offer a five-day free trial. This means new subscribers can watch at absolutely no cost for five days, and following the trial, Hulu will remain included in the selected live TV streaming package at no extra charge.
Another lesser-known tip: Select T-Mobile plans now include free access to both Hulu and Netflix. Current phone plans start at $50 per month but the entertainment benefits kick in with the “Experience More” plan ($85 per month), which gets customers a Netflix subscription for free and an Apple TV subscription for $3 per month. The best value is the “Experience Beyond” plan ($100 per month), which includes Netflix and Hulu for free, Apple TV for $3 per month, plus unlimited mobile hotspotting.
Best Hulu Deals 2026: Bundle and Save
While Hulu on its own starts at $11.99 per month, it’s a no-brainer to opt instead for the Disney+, Hulu bundle for the same $11.99 per month. Other cost-cutting bundles include the Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max trio starting at $19.99 per month (a savings of 42 percent), and the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN trio starting at $35.99 per month (a savings of 33 percent).
Best Hulu Deals 2026: Hulu Student Discount
Hulu offers one of the most generous student discounts on the market. Valid as long as you’re a college student, get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99 per month instead of $11.99 per month, a savings of 83 percent.
Best Hulu Deals 2026: Hulu + Live TV
While Hulu eliminated its standalone free trial period, the company retained its three-day free trial for Hulu + Live TV, which, following the trial period, starts at $89.99 per month, and comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+.
