Summary
- YouTube TV has received a $10 price hike, making it over 137 percent more expensive than its 2017 launch price.
- Existing customers can enjoy current pricing until January 13, 2025, while new subscribers start at $82.99 immediately.
- Despite increased pricing, 4K Plus remains an add-on at $10, with users urging it be included in the base plan.
Another day, another YouTube price hike — but this one isn’t connected to Premium.
Google’s TV streaming service, YouTube TV, received a price hike back in March 2023. A little over 1.5 years later, the streaming service that offers live TV from major broadcast networks and unlimited DVR space is again receiving a $10 price hike, which means it is now over 137 percent more expensive than it was when it originally launched in 2017.
Related
YouTube TV now costs more than twice as much as it did at launch
The cost of the base plan is going up, but the 4K Plus add-on is getting more affordable
The streaming giant has begun informing subscribers about the price change via email, indicating that the hike is connected to “the rising cost of content and the investments we make in the quality of our service.” The hiked pricing, is expected to kick in starting January 13, 2025 for existing customers, which means that you can still enjoy another month of service for $72.99. New subscribers, however, will begin paying $82.99 effective immediately.
A brief timeline
For reference, when the service first launched in 2017, it charged users $35/mo. The price was increased to $39.99/mo not long after, but it wasn’t until April 2019 that the service received its first major price hike, taking it all the way up to $50/mo for the base plan.
March 2020 marked the arrival of eight new channels from ViacomCBS, with a $15 price hike in tow. This brought the service’s cost to $65, bringing YouTube TV’s price close to traditional cable subscription pricing.
Last year was the tipping point for many, when the base plan jumped all the way up to $73/mo, officially making the cost more than double what it was in 2017 — and now at $83, the service feels exorbitantly expensive.
In a support post, the tech giant highlighted that “the updated price will continue to include 100+ channels, a DVR with unlimited storage, up to 6 accounts per household, and 3 concurrent streams. No additional fees are required for broadcast, HD, set-top box, or DVR.”
The streaming giant also noted that if you’re currently on a promotional plan, or on a three-month trial with discounted pricing, you’ll continue paying the cheaper subscription cost. “After that, you’ll be charged the new standard base price of $82.99.”
With the increased pricing, users are arguing that the service should include 4K Plus content at no additional cost. For reference, 4K Plus is an extra add-on on top of the base YouTube TV subscription and costs an additional $10.
It is unlikely that Google will pay heed, but you voice your opinion through a dedicated feedback form for the updated pricing. Note that the form seems to be down right now, with a pop-up message indicating that the page is “currently experiencing high contact volumes.” The error should subside soon.
