YouTube TV gets a price hike, now costs more than double its original price

YouTube TV app on a smart TV
(Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Youtube TV has announced a new price increase for the base subscription.
  • The service will now increase its base price by $8, from $64.99 per month to $72.99 a month.
  • The service last increased its price in 2020, when it rose by $15.
  • YouTube TV was originally launched in 2017 and cost only $35 per month.

The streaming industry has certainly changed over the years, and the biggest way you can tell is the rising costs. Not to be outdone by the rest, YouTube TV has just announced that it's raising its base price from $65 per month to $73.

The $8 increase will go into effect starting Thursday for new members that sign up for the service. However, those already subscribed to YouTube TV won't see the new price until after April 18.

As for the reason, the YouTube TV team explained on Twitter that the increase can be attributed to the fact that "content costs have risen," and this can help the team invest in "quality of service." 

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There is one benefit to the price change, which sees the price of YouTube TV's 4K Plus add-on cut in half to just $10 per month. This brings it back down to its introductory price and includes perks like downloads for offline viewing and unlimited simultaneous streams over Wi-Fi. This also means those already paying for the add-on should see their total subscription decrease by $2.

YouTube TV recently introduced a new Multiview feature just ahead of March Madness, allowing users to watch up to four different streams at once. YouTube TV also gives users access to NFL Sunday Ticket through a partnership it announced last year, although the team maintains that it has no bearing on the new price hike.

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At $73, YouTube TV has now more than doubled its original launch price of $35, bringing it ever closer to that the cost of regular cable. This now makes it more costly than Hulu + Live TV, which received a price hike in 2021 to $70 per month.

On-demand streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and more have also gone through price changes and revamps. And while the days of cable TV are numbered, the increasing costs of streaming services seem to have us creeping back to those prices.

Derrek Lee
News Editor

Derrek is a long-time Nokia and LG fanboy who loves astronomy, videography, and sci-fi movies. When he's not working, he's most likely working out or smoldering at the camera.