Hulu is considered the leading television streaming service, offering both live and on-demand shows and movies. With different subscriptions, commercials are included or not, and that is the basis of Hulu’s pricing structure.
We will look into the different subscription and ad types, and the costs to run advertisements on Hulu’s platform. With so many companies and brands on one platform, it makes sense to wonder how a Hulu advertising budget is allocated.
Hulu Subscription Options
On the user side, below are the subscription payment options. There are four main options, and only two of them come without advertisements. See the full list below to see how they compare to each other.
- Hulu: $5.99 per month, or $59.99 per year.
- Hulu (No Ads): $11.99 per month.
- Hulu and Live TV: $54.99 per month.
- Hulu and Live TV (No Ads): $60.99 per month.
Each of the above allows additions for an extra cost. There are premium, feature, and network add-ons that all can be added. These are the Premium Add-ons:
- HBO Max: $14.99 per month.
- Cinemax: $9.99 per month
- Showtime: $10.99 per month
- Starz: $8.99 per month
These are the Feature Add-ons:
- Unlimited Screens: $9.99 per month.
- Enhanced Cloud DVR Add-on: $9.99 per month.
- Both: $14.98 per month.
These are the Network add-ons:
- Espanol: $4.99 per month
- Entertainment: $7.99 per month
Naturally, options without ads are more expensive. This is a marketing tactic so viewers opt for the more expensive options.
Hulu Advertising Options
The real answer to the cost of Hulu ads is that it will always vary, and each new investment will be different from the last. Follow along to see how the three options differ.
Custom Advertising Abilities
With this advertising method, you can drive up results, but also sales. These results can be measured for your brand by leveraging Hulu’s advanced targeting techniques.
Hulu realized that the digital-native audience is becoming increasingly more difficult to reach through traditional marketing channels. In fact, 50% of Hulu viewers never saw an advertisement on TV when using the platform. You can still find your target audience with the following features, however:
- Interests and behavior
- Demographics
- Location
- Custom audiences
Each of the above is vital for advertising campaigns and brand awareness.
Also, take a look at some of the other actions this advertising method has to offer:
- Sponsorships
- Integrations
- Innovative ad formats
Premium Programming
This form of advertising is automated and data-driven. The following experiences are enhanced to be measurable.
- Audience CRM matching
- Lookalike audience
- Behavioral segments
Advertising Self-Service: On the other hand, you can be flexible with how you advertise on Hulu. This all comes from taking part in the self-service portion of advertising. When advertising on Hulu’s self-service ad platform, you can do the following:
- Connect with your target audience
- Set flexible budgets
- Manage your campaigns easily
- View live ad performance
All of these benefits contribute to successful marketing.
How Much Does Hulu Ads Cost?
Much to many people’s surprise, Hulu is more accessible overall as an ad platform than you might expect. Historically, rates have averaged around $30-40 per every thousand impressions, but recently it’s been closer to $20. This is likely due to an increase in usage and longer ad times, meaning they have more placements that are reducing the cost in the marketplace.
Hulu has been more aggressive about building relationships with ad agencies, and their CPMs have dropped significantly along with minimum spends, so expect to start seeing a wider variety of spots.
Our Final Thoughts
Now that we know the three main ways to advertise, it can be concluded that there is no set cost number. This is especially true for the self-service ad feature. In fact, this is an inclusive platform that lets you set up a personal budget for what you’re trying to accomplish.
Hulu is the premium network for brands to align with streaming video content and then connect with viewers that are consistently engaged with the service. Let us know if you’ve taken any advertising actions with the brand. If so, tell us about your advertising experience, which methods were used, and how the final budget was allocated.
