Will YouTube TV Be Worth It After a Price Hike?

For the millions of Americans who have been "cutting the cord" from cable TV over the past several years, switching to live streaming TV options is a great way to save money and customize their experience. If you've been considering YouTube TV, know that the subscription cost has just gone up. Is YouTube TV worth it at the new price?

CNN reports that YouTube TV's latest price increase makes the streaming service 114 percent higher than when YouTube TV first launched in 2017. Let's look at the entertainment value subscribers get from YouTube TV and how it compares to that of competitors like Sling TV, FuboTV, and DirecTV Stream.

First of all, YouTube TV differs from YouTube itself. YouTube is free with ads, but when you subscribe to YouTube TV, you get over 100 TV channels, no annual contract, and no hidden fees like box rental fees. Channels include major players like:

• FOX
• ABC
• CBS
• NBC
• ESPN
• AMC
• CNN
• Comedy Central
• Food Network
• TNT
• MSNBC
• NFL Network
• Nickelodeon

Local affiliate channels for networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are available too.

Live subscribers also get a discount on NFL Sunday Ticket, which will be exclusively on YouTube TV in 2023. As Clark.com notes, YouTube TV has unlimited Cloud DVR storage for no extra cost so you can record whatever programs you'd like. It's also compatible with a huge number of devices including Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV products, and Roku.

Other benefits and features of YouTube TV:

• You can watch up to three streams simultaneously in one household.
• You can have up to six user accounts per membership (each can customize cloud storage and settings).

As of March 16, 2023, YouTube TV has increased the monthly subscription price from $64.99 to $72.99, for an eight-dollar difference. CNN noted that when YouTube TV launched in 2017, the subscription cost $35 per month, and now there have been four price hikes for the service.

According to DigitalTrends, the price won't affect current subscribers until April 18. New subscribers can expect the new, higher price points, although currently there's also a three-month introductory offer for new subscribers to get YouTube TV for $62.99 per month. After three months, your price will go up to $72.99 per month.

Again, the monthly fee of $72.99 will get subscribers more than 100 live TV channels, up to three streams at one time, up to six user accounts, unlimited Cloud DVR storage, and discounts on NFL's Sunday Ticket. The NFL offer will allow subscribers to watch out-of-market NFL games this coming fall.

Here's the cost of YouTube TV add-ons:

• 4K Plus – $9.99/month
• more Premium TV – $1.99/month
• Entertainment Plus Bundle with HBO Max, Showtime, and STARZ – $29.99/month
• Extra live sports – $10.99/month
• Spanish TV – $14.99/month

While users still receive a lot of value for a $72.99 monthly YouTube TV subscription, you may be interested in trying other options. Several other good live streaming TV services are available so you can get the entertainment and news you prefer. The top competitors include:

• Hulu with Live TV
• FuboTV
• Sling TV
• DirecTV Stream
• Philo

Philo is the cheapest live TV streaming alternative out there. You can get over 70 channels and unlimited DVR for $25/month. Your selection is more limited than with YouTube TV, but still could be a great budget option.

Sling TV is your next best bet for saving money. Currently, their cheapest packages cost $40/month, and you can pick Orange (best for sports and families) or Blue (best for entertainment and news). You can also customize your extras to keep costs low and pick your favorite channels.

FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu with Live TV are several streaming options with prices very close to YouTube TV.

• FuboTV plans start at $74.99/month and go up to $94.99/month
• DirecTV Stream plans start at $74.99/month (but there's a three-month, $10-per-month discount for new customers)
• Hulu with Live TV plans start at $69.99/month; additional Disney+ and ESPN+ content available for $82.99/month

Financial educator Clark Howard says he continues to hold a YouTube TV subscription. “What interests me about YouTube TV is the unlimited DVR and the versatility with how many people can be watching at the same time and how many individual accounts you can have,” he says.

While financial experts have been touting the benefits of cord-cutting (getting rid of cable subscriptions) for years now, some are noticing the price of streaming services like YouTube TV creeping up closer to the cost of cable TV.

It all comes down to which channels you want available as well as other features. You can compare YouTube TV's offerings to similar products around the same price point, and most of these options have a free trial period as well. If budget is more important than options, try Sling TV or Philo to pay around half of what YouTube TV's subscription costs.