Cord-cutters looking for their fix of traditional media are in for a little sticker shock, as YouTube TV is about to get a bit pricer. Google announced plans today to raise the price of the streaming service $8, making the cost of its base plan jump from $65 to $73 a month, more than double the $35 it went for when it launched in 2017.
If you’re a new customer you’ll get that new price today, while existing customers won’t see their bills go up until after April 18th. If you currently have a paused YouTube TV account you’ll get charged the new amount when you unpause your membership.
While a price increase is never great news, Google announced it’s actually lowering the price of its 4K Plus add-on from its current price of $20 a month to $10 a month. If you were already a YouTubeTV subscriber that paid for the add-on, that means you might actually come out with a slightly cheaper bill going forward.
Google says that the price increase is due to the rising cost of content for the platform.
That $73 price tag will continue to give you the same things currently offered in the YouTube TV base tier: 100+ channels and a DVR with unlimited storage. It’s worth noting that’s also more than double the 40 networks that were available when the service initially launched. You’ll also still be able to have up to 6 friends or family members on your account, and up to 3 different streams going at the same time.
If you don’t want to shell out the $73/month for YouTube TV’s base plan you do have some options. YouTube TV offers the ability to purchase access to individual shows and primetime channels via YouTube TV without having a full YouTube TV subscription. Channels available include Showtime, Starz, NBA, AMC, and more.
You also have some options beyond just YouTube TV when it comes to streaming. Hulu with Live TV is currently a touch cheaper at $70/month, but if you find yourself using VOD more than you tune in live, you can score the Hulu & Disney+ bundle for just $10/month. Sling’s basic plans start at $40 a month, so there’s potential for savings there, as well, depending on what you watch.
