Despite being touted as one of the more accessible ways to watch Internet TV, YouTube TV is being less so. This month marks yet another price increase for the service. When it launched a short two years ago, YouTube TV was a respectable $35 per month. Now, it’ll cost $50, a 40 percent increase in two years.
YouTube TV Price Hikes
Pricing History
When YouTube TV launched, it cost a solid $35. That’s not the best price in Internet TV, but it was pretty solid to get access to YouTube Originals. Essentially, if you wanted Internet TV and really like Cobra Kai, this was a good deal.
In March of 2018, however, YouTube TV went up to $40, making it one of the more expensive options for Internet TV, but not a terrible option. With the most recent price hike taking it to $50, however, it’s starting to become comparable in price to simply having cable through your ISP.
Why This Matters
For half the price of what YouTube TV is charging, you can get Sling TV, a $25 subscription that includes over 30 channels. For that matter, those who want to watch TV but not spend a dime can get Pluto TV. If Google intends for YouTube TV to be a serious competitor, a 40 percent increase in price every two years hardly inspires confidence.
Channels Added
The service added Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend to support this raise in the price. They also plan to add the Oprah Winfrey network later this year.
However, this flies in the face of the marketed reason why Internet TV was created in the first place. Customers sick of paying for tons of channel packages they didn’t want opted for Internet TV to cut their bills down and get just the channels they want.
Alternatives
Alternatives to YouTube TV are prevalent, including Hulu’s live service, which starts at $40 per month. PS Vue, from Sony, is another option, though at $45 per month, it’s hardly a steal. The aforementioned Sling TV starts at $25 per month for those looking to save a bit more.