With YouTube TV, you get a feature-laden alternative to cable or satellite TV; all that's needed on your part is a Wi-Fi connection. With the top-tier plan priced at $82.99 per month, YouTube TV certainly doesn't come cheap. However, the wide range of live channels and on-demand channels make the service worth taking a look at, for both new and existing cord-cutters. That's all great but navigating your way around YouTube TV's offerings can be a quite cumbersome. So, to make things a little easier, here's everything you need to know about YouTube TV. Read on and decide whether YouTube TV is worth your time (and money) or not.
What is YouTube TV?
YouTube TV is arguably one of the most expansive cable replacement streaming platforms currently available in the United States. Like Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling TV, YouTube TV gives you access to many live TV channels, including the Big Four broadcast networks, as well as PBS in most markets. The service also packs on-demand video content, unlimited cloud-based DVR storage, as well as other features like multiple accounts and concurrent streams.
YouTube TV subscribers also get access to different region-specific channels and programming, including Spanish-language content, a wide range of professional sports, and more. You even get access to Discovery channels — including Animal Planet, HGTV, TLC, Food Network, and Travel Channel.
How much does YouTube TV cost?
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YouTube TV lets you choose from a range of plans that offer a curated selection of content, depending on what you like. The top-of-the-line plan is named YouTube TV and costs $82.99 per month. However, if you're a new customer, you can sign up for the service at a discounted price of $67.99 per month for the first three months. With this plan, you get access to over a hundred broadcast & cable networks, including ESPN, HGTV, National Geographic, SyFy, and TNT. Apart from that, you get unlimited cloud-based DVR storage, as well as up to six individual accounts with each having personalized recommendations. There's also a range of add-ons that enable features such as 4K playback (complete with unlimited concurrent streams), Spanish-language programming, live sports coverage, and the ability to watch content on a plethora of devices.
Apart from that, YouTube TV now highlights its new Sports plan that's priced at $64.99 per month but is available at a reduced price of $54.99 per month, for the first twelve months. As you'd expect, this plan includes access to a plethora of sports channels as well as features like expert analysis, live coverage of games, and more. You can try both YouTube TV and Sports plans for ten days, all without paying anything.
YouTube TV offers a variety of premium channel add-ons, which can be added to your monthly subscription for an extra fee. This includes the NFL RedZone add-on (priced at $10.99 per month) with the Sports Plus plan for extra channels like Impact Wrestling and SportsGrid, the Spanish language add-on (priced at $14.99 per month) that gives you access to numerous movies and telenovelas, and the Entertainment Bundle (priced at $29.99 per month) that includes HBO Max, STARZ, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. The add-ons start at $1.99 per month for access to services like ALLBLK, MGM+, and Shudder.
Do note that YouTube TV introduced its new plans only recently, so they may not be available for everyone just yet. These newly curated genre-based subscription plans include the Sports plan ($64.99 per month), the Sports + News plan ($71.99 per month), the Entertainment Plan ($54.99 per month), and the News + Entertainment + Family plan ($69.99 per month). Most of these plans can be had at discounted prices for the first three months, if you sign up as a new user.
What channels are on YouTube TV?
The laundry list of programming that's available to be watched, recorded, and re-watched on YouTube TV is overwhelming. If you picked up a subscription to stay caught up on your favorite shows, you'll need to know how to find them. There are simply too many channels to list here, but you can go to the official website and take a look at everything that's on offer.
What devices does YouTube TV support?
YouTube TV is accessible via majority of the popular streaming devices, including Roku, Chromecast with Google TV, and Apple TV. In addition to that, you can also stream YouTube TV on a selection of smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, Hisense, and Sharp. Even gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are fully supported Here's what other devices are compatible with YouTube TV.
Platform | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
AirTV Players | ✔️ |
Android smartphones/tablets | ✔️ |
Android TV / Google TV | ✔️ |
Chromebooks | ✔️ |
Chromecast with Google TV | ✔️ |
Google Nest | ✔️ |
Apple TV | ✔️ |
Fire tablets | ✔️ |
FireTV devices | ✔️ |
Roku | ✔️ |
Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X | ✔️ |
PS4, PS5 | ✔️ |
Google Nest Hub | ✔️ |
Nintendo Switch | ❌ |
Oculus Quest | ❌ |
TiVo Stream 4K | ✔️ |
Echo Show | ❌ |
Smart TVs | Fire TV Edition TVs, Hisense, LG, Roku TVs, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Vizio |
Xfinity Flex devices | ✔️ |
Peloton | ✔️ |
You can check the YouTube TVs device support page to see support for your specific device model.
You can also access YouTube TV on some of the best Android phones (as well as tablets), via web browser, or simply by downloading the YouTube TV app on your computer.
As mentioned before, YouTube TV also has a 4K streaming add-on available now, bringing higher resolution content to several networks already available on the platform for an extra $9.99 per month. The 4K Plus add-on also allows subscribers to download content for offline viewing, as well as unlock unlimited concurrent streams.
Account limits, profiles, and parental controls
Like many other streaming platforms, YouTube TV also supports multiple profiles. You get support for up to six separate user accounts, each getting personalized recommendations and settings. This feature lets each viewer in a household to customize suggestions and private DVR libraries within their individual account. Regarding simultaneous streaming, YouTube TV allows users to stream on up to three different devices at the same time.
YouTube TV also offers the option to add parental controls, block certain content from younger viewers on the account. All you need to do is tap on the lock icon in the top corner of any page in the app and enter the numbers that appear. You can also set a custom passcode, which must be entered when selecting more mature content.
Does YouTube TV offer a free trial?
Yes! While the exact amount of time can vary depending on when you sign up, YouTube TV generally offers some kind of free trial throughout the year. Currently, you can try out the YouTube TV and the Sports plans for ten days without paying anything, but you'll still have to check and see which trial is being offered when you're interested in trying out the service. Signing up for the free trial gives you access to all YouTube TV channels and the service's unlimited DVR space for a limited time.
Once the free trial expires, you'll automatically be charged $67.99 per month for three months, then $82.99 per month for as long as you keep your subscription, in case you go for the main YouTube TV plan. Similarly, you can try out the Sports plan for $54.99 per month for the first twelve months and then pay $64.99 per month to continue the plan. There are no hidden fees or any contracts associated with your membership, so you can cancel the service at any time.
