YouTube TV is getting another price hike — and it’s going up by $10 a month. On Thursday, YouTube announced that the monthly cost of its streaming service would increase by 14 percent, from $72.99 to $82.99.
New subscribers will see this change take effect immediately, while existing subscribers will start paying the higher rate on January 13.
In a statement shared on social media and sent via email to subscribers, YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, attributed the increase to “rising content costs.”
The company said, “We don’t make these decisions lightly, and we realize this impacts our members.” They also added that those currently paying discounted rates or participating in trial periods would not see the higher charge until their promotional periods had concluded.
This new price brings YouTube TV’s monthly fee in line with Hulu’s most popular television streaming package. Notably, Hulu raised its monthly fee in October, adding to the competition in the streaming service space.
This marks the latest price increase for YouTube TV, which launched in 2017 at a monthly cost of $35. Since then, prices have steadily risen — reaching $50 a month in 2019 and increasing to $72.99 in March 2023.
Youtube TV
What’s Changing with YouTube TV?
YouTube has confirmed that this new price hike will not come with any additional channels or changes to the existing service offerings.
Subscribers will continue to have access to over 100 traditional network and cable channels, a DVR service, and up to six accounts per household at no additional cost.
Although YouTube did not disclose the exact number of active YouTube TV subscribers, it reported in February that the service had around eight million paying customers.
Competing Streaming Services
YouTube TV operates separately from the main YouTube platform, which generates revenue through advertisements. YouTube TV competes with other streaming platforms like Hulu, Fubo, Sling, and others that offer similar subscription-based services with a variety of channels.
These competitors are fighting for content deals as well as subscribers, and those content costs are reflected in pricing.
For instance, in 2022, YouTube TV signed an exclusive $2 billion-per-year deal to broadcast National Football League’s Sunday Ticket games, highlighting the financial arms race among these services.
