Entertainment
YouTube TV has announced pricing and other details about its lineup of slimmed-down bundles organized around specific programming like sports, news and entertainment.
The sports-focused package, one of more than 10 set to debut this year, has drawn the most initial attention given the outsized role live sports plays in terms of pay-TV economics. The bundle will cost $64.99 a month, or $54.99 a month for the first year for new subscribers, the tech company said Monday in a blog post. The new bundles are due to start rolling out this week.
YouTube TV did not list all networks included in the package, but did provide Deadline with a full channel lineup. It includes local affiliates of national broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, NBC and PBS. Also included are ESPN; ESPN News; ESPN2; ESPNU; ACC Network; SEC Network; Big Ten Network; FS1; FS2; NBA TV; Golf; NBC Regional Sports Networks; USA; NBCSN; CBS Sports Network; PickleBall TV; T2; TUDN; TBS; TNT; truTV; and NFL Network. Access to ESPN Unlimited will be added this fall.
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The roster is rather comprehensive but does not feature MLB Network and Tennis Channel, which could give a few sports fans pause. The availability of NBC Sports Network is likely to furnish much of the burgeoning sports lineup streaming on Peacock, as NBCUniversal decided to revive the channel as a way of bridging linear TV and its streaming flagship.
DirecTV and Comcast have launched sports-focused bundles in a similar price range over the past year or so.
YouTube TV, now a leading pay-TV operator with more than 10 million subscribers, revealed plans for the new packages last year. The initiative gained momentum as YouTube forged a series of distribution deals with major media companies. In the cases of Disney and TelevisaUnivision, those agreements came after disruptions in service. Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal reached accord with YouTube TV but not before warnings from the companies to viewers about potential blackouts.
The regular YouTube TV plan still costs $82.99 a month, though that rate has jumped 28% since 2023 due to two separate hikes.
Most carriage disputes stem from the inherent conflict between rising programming costs and operators’ desire to avoid raising prices so much that they alienate customers. Even though YouTube TV has more than doubled its price since launching at $35 a month in 2017, it has added product features like Multiview, unlimited DVR and a user interface in tune with viewers’ experience on the internet. It also has provided financial incentives like a discount on NFL Sunday Ticket. All of those levers have enabled it to continue to post steady growth even as prices increase.
Along with the Sports plan, YouTube TV is offering Sports + News ($71.99 a month), with the sports channels above as well as CNBC, Fox News, MS Now, CNN, CSPAN and other news and business outlets. Its Entertainment Plan ($54.99) is aimed at “cinephiles and comedy buffs,” with a lineup including FX, Hallmark, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network and many others. For $69.99, the News + Entertainment + Family Plan adds networks like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
All plans are available at varying discounts for new subscribers.
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Dade Hayes