Is YouTube TV a Good Deal?
In 2020, so many of us have had to stay home due to the pandemic-enforced lockdowns and, as a result, spent increasing amounts of time binge-watching series after series of many video library services. Providers like Netflix, Sky, Disney+, and many others have all established themselves as a subscription service for our entertainment needs.
One such service is YouTube TV. In this article, we’ll investigate whether buying this particular subscription service is worthwhile, and we’ll examine whether it’s a good deal by defining what exactly it is and what it offers — and at what price. So is YouTube TV a good deal or not?
What is YouTube TV?
YouTube TV is a streaming product owned by Google that allows its users to stream live and local sports in addition to many other shows and the news from some of the most well known and well liked TV channels. In fact, there are over 85 channels users can access and in doing so, the company claims it offers “complete local network coverage in over 98% of US TV households”.
In addition, YouTube TV allows users to record TV shows and programs with no storage limitations. Plus, one subscription includes six accounts which is good news for homes with more than one user.
How much does YouTube TV cost?
Knowing whether YouTube TV is a good deal comes down to whether you can afford it. At the time of writing, it cost $64.99 a month for one subscription package. As mentioned above, this includes six accounts, and Google claims there are no extra hidden fees here — in most part because there is no cable box to install. It’s important to note that there is no contract either. That means you can cancel your subscription from one month to the next, which is a flexibility that many traditional entertainment service providers don’t offer.
The company offers two free weeks of YouTube TV, meaning you can try out the service first to see whether you do make use of all of its channels and unlimited recording services. However, there are some hidden fees to a certain extent. Not all the channels you will want will be in the starting package. Channels like Cinemax or HBO, for example, are available for an extra fee as well as some sports networks like NBA League Pass.
Is YouTube TV worth it?
Going on to YouTube TV’s website page makes some pretty compelling reading when it comes to suggesting whether it’s a package worth signing up for. Certainly, when you compare it to some traditional services, it does make you think you could be on to save a lot of cash. Traditional services often have a starting price point that is higher than YouTube TV’s $64.99 monthly fee. In addition to that starting cost, traditional services also charge for renting their box and using their recording services, and have tier pricing when it comes to storage. When coupled with installation fees, traditional services can cost far higher still.
However, just because YouTube TV may appear to be better value on the face of it in comparison to traditional services doesn’t mean that it’s worth paying for. Ask yourself whether you actually use enough of those 85 channels to justify the cost. Do you need 6 free accounts per household? Or the ability to stream simultaneously across three users? Your own individual answer will need you to look at the list of channels to ascertain which ones you will use on a regular basis. If it’s barely any, will an even more basic service suffice that’s cheaper — if not free?
Getting YouTube TV – key takeaways
YouTube TV definitely has its advantages. It’s great to see a service like this provide unlimited cloud storage in addition to multiple accounts and streaming capabilities. However, $64.99 a month is still a lot of money to shell out regularly, particularly if you’re not making use of the majority of the channels. If you think that it’s worthwhile, however, you’ll start with the trial anyway and can “test out” whether you use enough of these channels to justify the cost.
