Cutting the cord on expensive cable and satellite TV is a smart move many are making. Are you considering joining them?
Live TV streaming services are surging in popularity as a fantastic alternative to traditional cable. You gain access to a wide array of your beloved channels without the hefty fees, equipment rentals, and binding annual contracts that cable often demands. YouTube TV stands out as a leading live TV streaming service, boasting over five million subscribers as of July 2022, according to Google.
Alt text: A woman and a child are happily watching television together, representing the family-friendly entertainment offered by YouTube TV.
What is YouTube TV? Your Streamlined Channel Guide
YouTube TV is a top-tier over-the-top (OTT) streaming service that prioritizes simplicity and user-friendliness. It offers a straightforward single plan currently priced at $73 per month. This plan unlocks access to over 100 live TV channels spanning entertainment, news, and sports. The precise channel lineup can vary slightly depending on your specific location.
A key advantage of YouTube TV is its flexibility for households. It supports up to six individual user profiles per account and allows for three simultaneous streams. This customization ensures everyone in the family can enjoy their preferred content without conflicts. With no long-term contracts and a generous free trial period of up to 14 days, exploring if YouTube TV is the ideal streaming solution for your needs is easy and risk-free.
Beyond the extensive live channel selection, YouTube TV includes unlimited cloud DVR storage at no additional charge. You can record as many of your favorite shows, movies, and live events as you desire. Recordings are stored for nine months, providing ample time to catch up on your saved content. These recordings are accessible on any mobile device where you are logged into your YouTube TV account and have an internet connection, offering viewing flexibility on the go.
YouTube TV is compatible with a vast range of streaming devices, smart TVs, and computers. Supported platforms include popular options like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV (Google TV), LG, Samsung, Vizio, Sharp, Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Android and Apple iOS and iPadOS mobile devices.
YouTube TV: Quick Guide
| YouTube TV |
|---|
| Monthly price |
| Number of channels |
| On-demand content access? |
Exploring the YouTube TV Channel Lineup: A Visual Guide
YouTube TV’s channel list is designed to be user-friendly, allowing you to easily navigate through a wide spectrum of entertainment, news, sports, and kids’ networks. With over 85 channels in the base package, it boasts more than 40 lifestyle channels, over 15 sports channels, more than 15 news channels, and more than 10 family-oriented channels, alongside local broadcast networks.
You’ll find popular entertainment networks like BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and PBS. Stay informed with news from CNN and BBC World News. Sports enthusiasts will appreciate networks such as NBA TV and NFL Network.
Here’s a comprehensive list of channels currently included in the base YouTube TV package:
- ABC
- ABC News
- ACCN
- AMC
- Adult Swim
- Animal Planet
- BBC America
- BBC World News
- BET
- BET Her
- Big Ten Network
- Bravo
- Bounce
- CBS
- CBS Sports Network
- CNBC
- CNBC World
- CNN
- Cartoon Network
- Cheddar
- Cheddar News
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Comedy TV
- Comet
- Court TV
- Cozi TV
- Dabl
- Discovery
- Disney
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- Docurama
- Dove Channel
- E!
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN U
- ESPNews
- Fox
- Fox Business
- Fox News
- Fox Soul
- Fox Weather
- FS 1
- FS 2
- FX
- FXM
- FXX
- Food Network
- Freeform
- Galavision
- Get TV
- Golf Channel
- Game Show Network
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- HGTV
- HLN
- HSN
- IFC
- Investigation Discovery
- Ion
- Justice Central TV
- LAFC Channel
- Law & Crime
- Live Now
- Local Now
- Localish
- MSNBC
- Motortrend
- MTV
- MTV 2
- MTV Classic
- My TV
- NBA TV
- NBC
- NBC News Now
- NBC Universo
- NBCSN
- NBCLX
- NECN
- Nat Geo Wild
- National Geographic
- News Nation
- NFL Network
- Nickelodeon
- Nick Jr.
- Nicktoons
- Orlando City Channel
- OWN
- Oxygen
- Oxygen True Crime
- Paramount
- PBS
- PBS Kids
- PC Mag
- Pop
- QVC
- Recipe TV
- Scripps News
- SEC Network
- SNY
- Smithsonian Channel
- Start TV
- Sundance TV
- SyFy
- TBS
- Turner Classic Movies
- TLC
- TNT
- TYT
- Tastemade
- Teen Nick
- TeleHit
- The CW
- The Great Courses
- Travel Channel
- Tru TV
- TV Land
- USA
- Unimas
- Universal Kids
- Univision
- VH1
- WE TV
- The Weather Channel
- YouTube Originals
Enhance Your Viewing with Premium YouTube TV Add-ons
YouTube TV offers the option to customize your channel lineup further with premium add-on channels, each available for an extra monthly fee. These include:
- Acorn TV: $6.00/mo.
- ALLBLK: $5.00/mo.
- AMC+: $6.99/mo.
- CINEMAX: $9.99/mo.
- Comedy Dynamics: $4.99/mo.
- CONtv:$4.99/mo.
- CuriosityStream: $3.00/mo.
- Docurama: $4.99/mo.
- DOVE: $4.99/mo.
- Fandor: $3.99/mo.
- Fox Nation: $5.99/mo.
- Hallmark Movies Now: $5.99/mo.
- HBO Max: $15.99/mo.
- HBO: $14.99/mo.
- IFC Films Unlimited: $5.99/mo.
- Law & Crime: $1.99/mo.
- MGM+: $6.00/mo.
- Pantaya: $5.99/mo.
- Screambox: $4.99/mo.
- ScreenPix: $2.99/mo.
- SHOWTIME: $11.00/mo.
- STARZ: $9.00/mo.
- Shudder: $6.00/mo.
- Sundance Now: $7.00/mo.
- UP Faith & Family: $5.99/mo.
- WE tv+: $5.99/mo.
- Entertainment Plus (HBO Max, SHOWTIME, and STARZ): $29.99/mo.
- Sports Plus (FOX Soccer Plus, beIN Sports, NFL RedZone, and more): $10.99/mo.
- NBA League Pass: $28.99/mo. or $199.00/yr.
Sports Channels on YouTube TV: Never Miss the Game
The core YouTube TV package already includes a solid selection of over 15 sports channels. This includes the ESPN family of networks, Fox Sports networks, and popular college sports networks like ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network.
For viewers craving even more sports coverage, the Sports Plus package add-on is available for $11 per month. This package adds 15 additional channels, including Billiard TV, Outdoor TV+, Fox College Sports, Fox Soccer Plus, GOLTV, MAVTV, NFL RedZone, Stadium, and TVG.
It’s important to note that YouTube TV, like traditional cable, is subject to blackout restrictions imposed by professional sports leagues. This means that certain games may be unavailable in specific geographic areas if they are not sold out or if you are outside of the designated media market. In some cases, league rules may also dictate blackouts specifically on mobile devices.
For dedicated basketball fans, NBA League Pass offers access to all out-of-market NBA games. You can choose between a single team option for around $60 per year or an upgrade to watch all games for all teams for approximately $100 annually. Monthly payment options are also typically available during the NBA season, though it’s best to check the official site for current pricing.
Local Channels on YouTube TV: Stay Connected to Your Community
YouTube TV ensures you can stay informed about local news, weather, and sports. Major networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC are generally available across most of the country. Depending on your location, you may also receive PBS, The CW, MyNetworkTV, and Telemundo. To verify the local networks available in your area, simply enter your zip code on the YouTube TV website. The website’s channel guide is visually driven, using network logos to help you quickly identify your local channels.
YouTube TV Channel Comparison: How Does It Stack Up?
When considering live TV streaming services, you have numerous choices. Alternatives to YouTube TV include Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, and Philo. YouTube TV is priced higher than Sling TV (starting at $40/month) and Philo ($25/month). However, both Sling TV and Philo offer fewer channels, particularly lacking in local channels compared to YouTube TV.
Conversely, YouTube TV at $73/month is slightly more affordable than fuboTV, which starts around $75/month. YouTube TV provides a comparable number of channels to Hulu + Live TV (approximately 85+ channels each), with Hulu + Live TV costing around $70/month.
Entertainment Channels: Something for Everyone
Similar to traditional cable and other live streaming platforms, entertainment channels form the majority of the YouTube TV lineup. Whether your interests lie in DIY, history, cooking, or music, YouTube TV offers channels to cater to a wide range of tastes.
News Channels: Stay Informed
YouTube TV excels in its news channel offerings, currently providing over 13 news networks. This selection includes major news sources like CNBC, CNN, HLN, MSNBC, and BBC World News, ensuring comprehensive news coverage.
Channels for Kids and Families
Families with children will find plenty of kid-friendly content on YouTube TV. It features many popular channels for younger viewers, including Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., PBS Kids, and Universal Kids.
This is on par with competitors; Hulu + Live TV also carries Disney and Nickelodeon channels, while Sling TV Blue package includes channels like TeenNick, Nick Jr., and Cartoon Network.
YouTube TV: Overall Value Proposition
While YouTube TV’s monthly cost is higher than services like Philo or Sling TV, it delivers a more comprehensive and robust viewing experience with a wider variety of content options suitable for all family members. When compared to similarly priced competitors like fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV remains a strong contender. While fuboTV boasts a larger number of channels, a significant portion are sports-focused. This is ideal for dedicated sports fans but may be less appealing to viewers with broader interests or those primarily interested in non-sports content. These viewers might find themselves paying for channels they won’t utilize.
Furthermore, YouTube TV’s unlimited cloud DVR storage eliminates concerns about running out of recording space for favorite shows.
Is YouTube TV’s Channel Selection Right for You?
YouTube TV offers a well-rounded mix of entertainment, kids, news, and sports channels, ensuring there’s content to satisfy every member of the household. For most viewers, YouTube TV’s channel lineup will prove to be comprehensive and satisfying. The option to add premium networks without long-term commitments provides further flexibility to customize your viewing experience.
With its extensive channel list, unlimited DVR, support for six user accounts, and a free trial period of up to 14 days, YouTube TV offers a compelling package. Trying the service allows you to quickly determine if it meets your entertainment needs. YouTube TV stands as a strong competitor against Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV, and its single, inclusive channel list provides an advantage over the more fragmented approach of Sling TV.
