How Much Is YouTube TV and Is It Worth the Cost?
Written by
Terence Loose
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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If you’re tired of the monthly sticker shock of your cable TV bill and want to join the growing army of “cord cutters,” YouTube TV, which is a streaming service that includes more than 100 channels of live and on-demand content, might have caught your eye. Is YouTube TV better than cable? How much does it cost, really and is it worth it? And what does it include, and not include?
Here’s what you should know to determine if YouTube TV is right for you.
How Much Is YouTube TV?
YouTube TV’s Base Plan is $72.99 per month. However, if this is your first time signing up for the service, you can take advantage of their promotional rate of $57.99 for the first three months. This saves you $45 and brings the first year cost to $836.88, however, there are no annual contracts and you can easily cancel your subscription any time.
The Base Plan includes up to six individual account profiles within the same household. Each individual profile holder receives their own recommendations, personal login and unlimited DVR space. With the Base Plan, you are allowed up to three simultaneous streams.
The Base Plan includes over 100 live channels. These range from major network stations like NBC, ABC and CBS to cable giants like FOX News, CNN and ESPN. The Base Plan also includes many entertainment channels such as BET, Food Network, HGTV and others. The channel lineup does vary by area, however, so to get a specific lineup for your region, you’ll need to enter your zip code on YouTube TV’s home page.
If you are only interested in Spanish language shows, YouTube TV has a Spanish Plan for $34.99. This includes 30 Spanish networks.
Are There Optional Channels to Add?
YouTube TV offers many optional add-ons that include a wide variety of channels. But they will cost you extra.
For instance, starting at $1.99 per month, you can add premium TV channels that are not included in the Base Plan. These include channels such as ALLBLK, MGM+, Shudder and more.
There is also a Sports Plus package for an additional $10.99 per month that includes 13 sports networks not included in the Base Plan. Premium entertainment channels are also offered through YouTube TV’s Entertainment Bundle add-on, for $29.99 per month. This includes Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and STARZ. There’s also an option to add more Spanish content for $14.99 per month, which includes telenovelas, live Spanish sports and more.
A 4K Plus add-on is on offer for $9.99 per month. This unlocks unlimited simultaneous streams, gives you 4K quality on certain content and allows you to watch your recorded content offline.
NFL Sunday Ticket for Hardcore Football Fans
If you never want to miss an NFL game, even those out of your local market, YouTube TV offers two plans for NFL Sunday Ticket, which has been exclusive to YouTube since 2023. NFL Sunday Ticket is not one of the 13 channels offered in their Sports Plus package.
If you sign up for YouTube TV’s Base Plan, you can add NFL Sunday Ticket for $349 per year, or $87.25 per month for four months. You also have the option of only signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket, but it will cost you $100 per year more, or $112.25 per month for four months. There is no monthly plan, so the commitment here is for a year.
What Devices Support YouTube TV?
The good news is that you can access and watch YouTube TV virtually anywhere that you have an internet connection. You can download the YouTube TV app and watch on your smartphone, computer or tablet, gaming consoles and many smart TVs. As far as smart TVs go, YouTube lists TVs from LG, Samsung, Vizio, and others.
There is a long list of devices that support the YouTube TV app so that you can watch YouTube TV on virtually any television, such as PlayStations and Xboxes, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Roku and more.
Can You Record Shows on YouTube TV to Watch Later?
YouTube TV includes a cloud-based DVR, so you can record content and watch it at your convenience. And, unlike many cable DVRs, YouTube gives you unlimited space, with each of your up-to-six individual profiles enjoying their own DVR library. For the ability to download and watch content offline, however, you will have to sign up for the 4K Plus plan.
Does YouTube TV Have Any Hidden Fees?
In a word, no. There are no cancellation fees, remote or box rental fees, DVR fees, or broadcast fees of any kind.
However, remember that to access YouTube TV, you will need an internet connection. This is not included in the subscription price and you should budget this cost into your decision if you cut cable.
A Consumer Reports November, 2022 study of 18,359 consumer cable bills from across the nation concluded that the cost of broadband internet service is both expensive and difficult for consumers to pin down from a bundled internet and cable TV bill. Their analysis found that the median broadband cost came in at $74.99 per month, with the nationwide average hitting $66 per month. This cost would be in addition to your YouTube TV subscription cost.
Is There Anything Better Than YouTube TV?
Better is a charged and subjective term. There are certainly options to YouTube TV, beyond cable. Here are some of those options:
- Hulu + Live TV is $89.99 per month,or $76.99 per month with ads. According to PC Magazine, Hulu has a similar channel lineup to YouTubeTV.
- Sling TV has two plans for $40 per month, or both in a bundled subscription for $55. This includes 46 channel.
- FuboTV has three plans ranging from $79.99 to $99.99 per month, with a Latino Spanish language TV option for $32.99 a month.
These are merely a few of the choices, so you do have options, both in content and price.
Is It Worth Getting YouTube TV?
This is a very individualized question. But, in general, if you find yourself watching mainly sports and premium streaming services like Max, Disney+, Hulu and Netflix, it may be more cost-effective to subscribe to those individual services and skip YouTube TV–and cable–altogether.
On the other hand, if you enjoy network and cable TV, including news and entertainment channels, but rarely crave services like Netflix, Hulu and the other premium streamers, YouTube TV might be for you. And, you can always add premium streaming services, of course. Fortunately, the world is brimming with entertainment choices.
