New Plans And Pricing
YouTube said on Monday that it will roll out more than 10 lower-priced YouTube TV plans that let subscribers tailor packages around sports, news, and entertainment. The company said all of the new options will be priced below the $82.99 per month main plan, which includes access to more than 100 networks, and that the rollout will begin this week and continue over the next several weeks. The main plan will remain available, while the new tiers allow customers to trade channel breadth for lower monthly costs.
Among the options announced are a $64.99 per month Sports plan, a $71.99 per month Sports + News plan, a $54.99 per month Entertainment plan, and a $69.99 per month News + Entertainment + Family plan that includes children’s programming.
What Each Bundle Includes
The Sports plan includes major broadcasters and networks such as FS1, NBC Sports Network, all ESPN networks, and ESPN Unlimited, and is priced $18 less per month than the main plan. YouTube TV’s news lineup includes channels such as CNBC, Fox News, CNN, MS NOW, and Bloomberg, and the Sports + News package is priced $11 less per month than the main plan.
The Entertainment plan is $28 less per month than the main plan and includes major broadcasters along with FX, Hallmark, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network, and HGTV. Families can add channels such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, and PBS Kids for an additional cost.
Discounts, Features, And Add-Ons
YouTube said it will offer discounts for new subscribers that can reduce prices for certain plans for the first few months or the first year. Subscribers will continue to have access to features such as unlimited DVR, support for up to six family members on one account, and multiview. Additional add-ons, including NFL Sunday Ticket + RedZone, HBO Max, and 4K Plus, will remain available to further customize packages.
Market Context
Customized channel bundles are not new in streaming, with earlier services such as Sling TV offering similar approaches. Personalization has been part of the appeal of streaming compared with traditional pay TV, where customers often paid for channels they did not want. Over time, as services added more content and sports programming, prices rose and began to resemble cable and linear television costs. The new YouTube TV packages arrive as consumer confidence sits at its lowest level in more than 11 years, tied to concerns about the labor market and higher prices, which has made spending more cautious.
Featured image credits: Sprout Media Lab
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