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In a nutshell: Don’t look now, but YouTube TV is preparing for yet another price hike scheduled to hit soon after the holidays. YouTube last increased the cost of its streaming television service in March 2023, raising the monthly price from $64.99 to $72.99. If that $8 increase rubbed you the wrong way, odds are you are not going to feel great about what is coming next.
Google said that starting December 12, 2024, for new users and January 13, 2025, for existing users, YouTube TV’s base plan will go up to $82.99 – a jump of $10 per month (or more than 13.7 percent). The tech titan cited the rising cost of content as the reason for the hike.
YouTube TV affords 100+ channels – basically everything you would get with a standard cable or satellite package – as well as a cloud-based DVR with unlimited storage. Users can take advantage of up to six accounts per household and stream three programs concurrently, and there are no cancellation fees, contracts, or physical DVR hardware to contend with.
Add on channels and additional features are also available, albeit for an additional fee. 4K viewing of select content, for example, will set you back another $9.99 per month.
YouTube’s decision to increase the cost of its streaming TV service comes at a time when many are more conscious about subscriptions and spending in general. Whether or not an $82.99 streaming TV service fits into your discretionary spending category is up for you to decide, but do know that there are alternatives out there.
Traditional cable and satellite providers still exist, and you are likely to get a promotional rate – especially if you combine TV service with Internet or mobile phone service. Optionally, providers like Sling have streaming TV packages that start at $40 a month although expect fewer channels and perks.
For those keeping score, YouTube TV has more than doubled in cost since it first debuted in 2017.
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