Hulu launches commercial-free subscription plan

Streaming service Hulu has officially launched a new subscription option that'll allow subscribers to stream endless hours of television without commercial interruption. As of today, viewers now have the choice to watch a commercial-free version of Hulu for $11.99 per month, or opt for a slightly cheaper $7.99 per month subscription with limited commercials.

“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”

Current Hulu subscribers will maintain their existing subscription, but do have the option to switch to the commercial-free subscription at any time for an addition $4 per month. For those who remain with the $7.99 option, Hulu maintains they will continue to show "fewer commercials than scheduled television."

Comparitively, Hulu's $7.99 plan is the same price as a monthly Netflix subscription. While Netflix is ad free, the big difference is that the amount of network series Hulu offers the day after they air. At $99/year, Amazon Prime members pay about $8.25 per month for a commercial-free streaming service; but, like Netflix, Amazon Prime also doesn't get recent television shows immediately after they've aired. With Amazon, however, you can pay for new episodes on an individual basis.

Hulu does note of its new $11.99 service:  "Due to streaming rights, the shows below are not included in our No Commercials plan. You can still watch these shows interruption-free. They will play with a short commercial before and after each episode. The shows are: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Scandal, New Girl, Grimm and How To Get Away With Murder." The ads will only appear before and after the episode plays.