Hulu is one of the best streaming services for sports fans. From NBA and NFL to tennis and wrestling, the service spoils sports fans for choice. Sadly, sports blackouts can spoil the fun — unless you know how to watch Hulu with live sports using a VPN.
Key Takeaways: Watch Hulu With Live Sports
- Hulu + Live TV is only available in the U.S. If you travel outside the country, you’ll need a reliable VPN to watch live sports.
- A VPN also helps you bypass sporting blackouts and regional availability rules, letting you watch all games regardless of location.
- ExpressVPN is the best VPN to watch Hulu with live sports, but it’s pricey. NordVPN is a cheaper alternative, whereas Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Hulu.
Blackouts aren’t the only issue. If you’re traveling abroad, Hulu geoblocks will take effect, preventing you from cheering on your favorite NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL teams. Whether you’re here to find a way around regional blackouts or to learn how to access Hulu from abroad, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how to watch Hulu from anywhere with the best VPN.
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To get live sports with Hulu, you have to upgrade to the Hulu + Live TV plan, which costs $69.99 per month.
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Yes, Hulu broadcasts the NFL Regular Season, the NFL Super Bowl, NCAA Regular Season games, the NCAA 2023 Playoffs and the NFL Draft.
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Hulu broadcasts various live sports, including soccer, football, NBA, tennis, hockey, cycling, racing and wrestling.
How to Get Hulu With Live Sports
The Hulu + Live TV subscription costs $69.99 per month. The plan includes over 85 live TV channels, including live sports channels, Disney Plus, ESPN+ and the Hulu streaming library.
Note that local broadcast channels and regional sports networks may change based on your location in the U.S. This is important when selecting a VPN; you must ensure the VPN has servers in regions where your go-to regional sports networks are available. Check regional availability on the Hulu + Live TV website.
With the plan, you’ll have to grapple with ads. However, you’ll be able to record live TV events with unlimited cloud DVR storage. If two games are running concurrently, you can watch one and record the other to watch later.
Hulu has an ad-free plan, which goes for $82.99 per month. The package includes live TV channels, Disney Plus (no ads) and ESPN+ with ads. In addition, you can get a Live TV Only plan for $68.99 per month, which doesn’t include ESPN+, Disney Plus or the Hulu streaming library.
The Hulu Live Sports Package
Beyond the basic plan, Hulu offers a sports add-on, which you can purchase alongside a basic plan for $9.99 per month. The package adds six more live sports channels:
- NFL RedZone
- FanDuel Racing
- Sportsman Channel
- Outdoor Channel
- FanDuel TV
- MAVTV
Hulu + Live TV plans allow you to stream live sports on two devices simultaneously. With the unlimited screens add-on, you can stream simultaneously on unlimited screens and three mobile devices for $9.99.
Hulu With Live TV Device Compatibility
Hulu with Live TV has excellent device compatibility. It works flawlessly on many smart TVs and game consoles, including:
- Apple TV (4th generation and later)
- Echo Show (8, 10 and 15)
- Nintendo Switch (R1 and Lite)
- Xbox
- Chromecast
- Android TV devices
- Samsung TVs
- Amazon Fire TV Stick (Fire OS 5.0 and later)
- Roku
In addition, you can stream live sports on mobile devices such as Android phones and tablets, Amazon Fire tablets, and Apple iPhones and iPads.
Hulu’s Home Network Policy
Despite its excellent device compatibility, Hulu with Live TV is meant for single-home use. If you have two homes, you can’t use one Hulu subscription in both houses. Hulu is strict on the single-house rule, and there’s no reliable way to permanently bypass it.
The provider requires you to designate a home network within 30 days of subscribing to a Live TV plan. The home network is the residential, non-mobile internet connection you’ll be using to watch live sports. When accessing Hulu, you must always connect living room devices (smart TVs and computers) to the home network.
If you register a device (other than mobile devices) on the designated home network and connect it to a different network, Hulu will assume you’re not at home. As a result, the service won’t open.
Thankfully, Hulu lets you connect from mobile devices outside your home network. Even so, there’s a caveat: Hulu requires each mobile device to check in to the designated home network once every 30 days. You’ll lose access to live TV channels if you are away from home for more than 30 days, though you’ll still be able to watch on-demand content from the Hulu library.
What Sports Can I Watch on Hulu?
Baseball, football, basketball, golf and tennis are just a few of the sports available on Hulu with Live TV. Here’s a curated list of sports leagues you can watch on Hulu with Live TV:
Baseball: MLB Regular Season 
Basketball: NBA Regular Season, NBA Playoffs, NBA Draft, WNBA Regular Season and NCAA games
Cycling: Tour de France
Football: NFL Super Bowl, NFL Regular Season, NCAA Regular Season, NCAA 2023 Playoffs and NFL Draft
Golf: Masters Tournament
Hockey: NHL Regular Season
Racing: NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Cup Championship Playoffs, F1 Miami Grand Prix, F1 Austin Grand Prix and F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 
Soccer: EPL Regular Season, MLS Regular Season and FIFA World Cup (Men and Women)
Tennis: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships and U.S. Open
Wrestling: WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE SmackDown Live and UFC PPV
Hulu also broadcasts other major sporting events. For example, you’ll get an Olympic channel when that event nears. If we didn’t list your favorite sport, search in the Hulu app and you might still find it.
What Sports Channels Can I Get on Hulu?
Some of the popular live sports channels on Hulu with Live TV include:
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- FOX
- TBS
- FS1
- ESPNU
- SEC Network
- ABC
- NFL Network
- Telemundo
- TruTV
- TNT
- CBS
- USA Network
- ACC Network
- NBC
Hulu With Live TV: Limitations
Besides the home network and the 30-day residential check-in, Hulu Live TV with sports has other limitations that can interfere with the streaming experience, like the device limit. Hulu Live TV plans allow you to stream live sports from two screens simultaneously.
Beyond that, remember that live sports broadcasts are subject to blackout restrictions. This means some live sports may be unavailable where you’re located. For example, you’ll see some live NFL games air on local channels at your friend’s place, yet they’re unavailable in your region.
Lastly, you’ll have to deal with geoblocks. If you’re traveling within the U.S., you’ll have access to the same national and regional sports network as you do in your home area. However, the local affiliates will change with your physical location.
How to Watch Live Sports on Hulu From Outside the US
In this section, we’ll show you how to watch Hulu with live sports from outside the U.S. using ExpressVPN — the best VPN for streaming. We’re assuming you have a Hulu + Live TV subscription.
- Sign Up for a Hulu VPN
Head over to ExpressVPN’s website and sign up for one of the plans. If you want to get started with a free trial on mobile, jump straight to the next step. If you wish to use the VPN on your laptop, go to step three.
- Start a Free Trial on Mobile
If you’re on a mobile device, install the app from the Google Play Store or Apple app store for your Android or iOS mobile device. To get the free trial, click “start free trial” and follow along with the signup wizard.
- Download the VPN on a Laptop
If you want to follow local sports on your laptop, download and install the VPN app from the ExpressVPN website. Then, complete the setup.
- Connect to a US Server
Launch the VPN app, log in and connect to a server in the U.S.
- Watch Live Sports on Hulu
Before you launch the Hulu app, do a quick DNS leak test to confirm that you have a U.S. IP address. If everything looks okay, open the Hulu app and enjoy unfettered live sports streaming.
Best VPNs for Streaming Sports on Hulu Abroad
If you’re traveling outside the U.S., accessing Hulu with Live TV is complicated. Remember, Hulu checks your IP address and your mobile device’s GPS data to verify your physical location. Not many VPNs can fool the Hulu system, so we recommend using a top-tier VPN, such as ExpressVPN.
1. ExpressVPN
Pros:
- Great unblocking ability
- Fast streaming speeds
- 7-day free trial on mobile
Cons:
- Pricey
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Hulu by merit. You have access to servers in more than 15 U.S. cities, which gives you a large pool of IP addresses to bypass sporting blackouts. During our recent testing, the servers got us into all streaming services on the first attempt, including Hulu.
Beyond that, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs, and its excellent download speeds let you enjoy interruption-free live sports streaming. The videos load like local sessions whether you’re accessing Hulu in Australia or Mexico. Moreover, ExpressVPN offers unlimited bandwidth and data, so you don’t have to worry about getting cut off in the middle of NFL or NBA games.
The only quibble with ExpressVPN is its pricing. Compared to other top-tier VPNs, ExpressVPN is costly. Thankfully, there’s a seven-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the app risk-free. Learn more in our complete ExpressVPN review, or check out our guide on how to watch Hulu with ExpressVPN.
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Yes
2. NordVPN
Pros:
- Fast connection speeds
- Great Hulu unblocking
- 30-day money-back return
Cons:
- Had a server breach in 2018
NordVPN is as effective as ExpressVPN at unblocking Hulu with live sports abroad. To begin with, it has more than 1,970 servers in 15 U.S. locations. You get a pool of IP addresses to unblock Hulu from abroad, so you can cheer on your favorite teams without worrying about sporting blackouts.
Even better, NordVPN is the fastest VPN we’ve ever tested. Whether you’re accessing Hulu in a neighboring country or one that’s several continents away, you’ll not experience video lag or buffering. Plus, it’s one of the cheaper premium VPNs out there, making it a great option if you’re on a budget.
In addition, NordVPN now offers the Meshnet feature for free. This tool lets you access home devices anywhere in the world, making NordVPN an ideal tool to beat stringent streaming policies such as Hulu’s home network policy and Netflix’s password-sharing rule. Read more in our full NordVPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
3. Proton VPN
Pros:
- Unlimited data on free plan
- Free U.S. servers
- Solid security & privacy
Cons:
- Slow during peak hours
Proton VPN is the best free VPN with servers in the U.S. Like other reliable free services, it imposes usage limits, but snags a spot on our list for a few reasons. First, the U.S. servers are apt at unblocking major streaming services, including Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.
Second, Proton VPN offers unlimited data, so you won’t have to worry about losing connection in the middle of a live game. That said, Proton VPN’s speeds tend to dip during peak hours. As a result, you may experience lagging or stuttering videos during that time. Learn more in our comprehensive Proton VPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 1
- Yes
Final Thoughts
Now you know how to use a VPN to watch Hulu with live sports abroad. Unlike other streaming services, Hulu makes you jump through hoops to keep up with live sports. As you’ve seen, watching Hulu on a mobile device abroad is possible, but only within the first 30 days of leaving home.
The critical thing is to remember to “check in” your mobile device before you travel to give yourself 30 days of uninterrupted live sports streaming. Moreover, it’s important to install the Hulu app before you leave the country in case it’s unavailable in your destination country.
Most importantly, buy a top-tier Hulu VPN for streaming. ExpressVPN is the best choice, thanks to its excellent unblocking ability and fast speeds. It’s pricey, but the seven-day free mobile trial will come in handy if you’re going outside the U.S. for less than a week. As a bonus, we have comprehensive guides on how to get Hulu on TVs and how to watch Hulu with a VPN.
Have you watched Hulu with live sports abroad? Did you run into problems with Hulu’s home network policy? How did you circumvent the residential check-in? Which VPN did you use? We’d love to hear about it in the comment section. As always, thanks for reading.
The post How to Watch Hulu With Live Sports in 2023: Watch American Sports Live From Anywhere With a VPN appeared first on Cloudwards.
