Television in recent years has become an era of cord-cutters moving away from traditional cable packages in favor of streaming services. While that can mean services like Netflix and Hulu and Disney+ with their libraries of existing shows and movies combined with new originals, YouTube TV is a way for subscribers to watch and record live TV. It has been a convenient option for plenty of cord-cutters, but now changes are on the way due to a price hike. That said, the price hike will actually benefit some subscribers.
The monthly price for the YouTube TV Base Plan subscription for almost three years was $64.99, but the service sent out a notice to subscribers that due to the rising costs of content and associated costs with improving quality, the monthly price will rise to $72.99 per month. For existing subscribers, the price jump will go into effect on or around April 18, while YouTube TV Help states that the higher price starts for new subscribers on March 16.
That’s the bad news for the YouTube TV price changes, but some subscribers have a silver lining. The price for the 4K Plus add-on will drop to $9.99 per month from the previous rate of $19.99 per month. For YouTube TV users who already had the Base Plan plus the 4K Plus add-on, the total cost will drop from around $85 monthly to around $83 monthly.
That may not be a huge savings, but a bump up to the 4K Plus plan involves 4K Ultra High Definition for certain programs (including live and on-demand) as well as unlimited simultaneous streams per household and the ability to watch recordings offline with the app via phone or tablet. If you already take advantage of adding 4K Plus to the Base Plan, you’ll actually save a little bit of money, and this may increase the appeal of the add-on for users who currently only have the Base Plan.
The changes won’t benefit those who intend to stick with the Base Plan, but I would say that the price hike is less frustrating than when Netflix bumps up its monthly subscription total. After all, YouTube TV offers live television from many of the networks offered by traditional television packages, while Netflix has earned the reputation for cancelling its own originals without giving them many seasons… or even more than one.
In fact, there have been a fair number of streaming cancellations over the past year, with Disney+ recently cancelling Willow as the third series to get the axe in less than a month. Last month, Netflix went on another original content purge that took out Arrested Development on top of additional cancellations, including a show that had already been renewed for a second season.
Hulu cancelled an original that resulted in Johnny Knoxville taking shots at the streamer, and Peacock axed The Vampire Academy despite the show hailing from Julie Plec, who successfully helmed The Vampire Diaries over on The CW. Then, of course, there’s HBO Max and the cancellation aftermath of its “spending frenzy.”
YouTube TV may not be the place to be for a vast number of original series, but it does give access to live television in a way that’s not available on many other streamers. If you’re interested in giving it a shot, now is a great time to subscribe, even despite the price hike!
