YouTube TV subscribers will now be able to watch eight ViacomCBS channels which include Comedy Central, Paramount Network, MTV, Nickelodeon, TV Land, BET, CMT, and VH1. However, the added channels come with a price as the monthly subscription cost will now increase from $50 to $64.99 as of Tuesday, June 30.
New subscribers will sign up with the new price while existing clients will see the price change on their next bill on or after July 30.
The new price was the biggest price hike for YouTube TV as it almost doubled its initial price of $35 when it was launched three years ago. In early 2018, YouTube TV first had its price increase to $40 when it added Turner networks such as CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, Turner Classic Movies, TNT, Adult Swim, and truTV.
The current YouTube TV base plan now has more than 85 channels that also include the recently added Cinemax and HBO Max for a great array of content and original series.
Meanwhile, BET Her, MTV2, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, and MTV Classic will also be added in the future, per the initial statement from YouTube TV and ViacomCBS last month.
YouTube TV Vice President of Product Management Christian Oestlien said in a blog post that while the added cost may be a burden to some of its subscribers, it shows the increasing content cost. "[We] also believe it reflects the complete value of YouTube TV, from our breadth of content to the features that are changing how we watch live TV," Oestline wrote.
YouTube TV: The most expensive cable TV alternative
At $64.99, YouTube TV becomes the most expensive streaming alternative to cable TV.
With AT&T Now's recent price adjustment, its monthly subscription fee is now reduced to $55 monthly, but it is subject to a price increase after a year. Hulu with Live TV plan is priced at $54.99. While this includes access to Hulu's content library, it does not offer an unlimited DVR storage that YouTube TV provides.
Philo is the cheapest at $20 monthly, but it does not include news and sports channels. Meanwhile, Sling TV's Orange or Blue packages cost only $30 per month, but subscribers can have both for $45. It is already a great deal, but Sling does not have all the local stations, so subscribers should check local listings.
There are some concerns that YouTube TV's price is almost the same as the cost of the actual cable service. The average cable TV monthly bill is $217.42, according to a 2019 Consumer Reports study.
CordCutters News editor Jessica Barnes said she expected the price hike when YouTube added the extra channels and as expected, subscribers are "not happy." However, she said any losses in YouTube subscriptions will be balanced by new ones who like Viacom channels.
Moreover, aside from a wide range of channels, YouTube TV also includes some of Google's great services, including a less complex entry for additional hardware, better UI than any cable set-top box, and easy access for any device with an internet connection.
