Sprint is adding free Hulu service to its unlimited plan

Sprint announced Wednesday that it will offer the Hulu video streaming service to customers in its Unlimited Freedom plan.

The Overland Park-based company declared the deal is “the year’s biggest debut” just a week and a half after merger talks with rival T-Mobile were called off.

The Sprint announcement says customers can have unlimited data, talk, text and streaming in HD on their smartphone, tablet or TV for $100 a month for four lines with a fifth line free.

After Jan. 31, 2019, the promotional pricing ends and the first line will be $60 a month. The site engadget.com said Sprint’s move is the company’s answer to T-Mobile’s free Netflix offer and AT&T’s free HBO.

Sprint said, “With this new collaboration, Sprint is offering the best price for unlimited entertainment with today’s most buzzed-about streaming TV service, Hulu.”

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure tweeted about the deal Wednesday morning.

Tim Connolly, senior vice president and head of distribution and partnerships at Hulu, said: “We know people love watching TV on their mobile devices, so we’re making it easier than ever for Sprint customers to enjoy their favorite shows and movies on Hulu. This exciting partnership with Sprint gives TV fans nationwide a powerful, seamless entertainment experience that they can take with them, whenever and wherever they want.”

People can sign up beginning Friday.

After merger talks with rival T-Mobile were called off earlier this month, Claure vowed the company would “once and for all do the right investment” in the network. Sprint is the fourth largest national cellular carrier with 54 million customers.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Sprint is adding free Hulu service to its unlimited plan."