YouTube TV has seen a number of price increases over the years as the service has grown, and now that it serves millions of viewers, it was inevitable that another increase would follow. It finally arrived this week, raising the question of whether YouTube TV will ever offer cheaper streaming packages.
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When it launched in 2017, YouTube TV offered many channels available for streaming for just $35 per month. Until next year the price rose to $40and then $49.99 in 2019. 2020 has led to the biggest price increase to date price up to $64.99. This price stayed around for about three years with the next increase It goes up to $72.99 per month in early 2023.
Now, YouTube TV plans to raise the price to $82.99 per month starting in January 2025.
It really was as inevitable as the price everything Including the variety of channels that YouTube TV hosts and, in turn, the price of the service. Of course, this is due to the loss of YouTube TV’s library. The most notable is the loss of various sports channels regional sports channels, MLB Networkand others in recent years. It’s been years since they were deleted and there’s no sign of them coming back. YouTube TV has also been adding fewer and fewer channels in recent years compared to the past.
This means that for many YouTube TV subscribers, the channels they were interested in have disappeared. For others, the channels they subscribe to make up a very small portion of the full library, making the new, higher prices less worthwhile for many.
Since the start of the YouTube TV price hikes, subscribers have been asking for more options for flexible packages.
This is not a new idea. Traditional cable relies heavily on different packages, although basic prices are usually in the same market as YouTube TV (although it often has more channels to offer). And in the world of streaming, Sling TV sets a great example.
Sling’s kit consists of many different ones channel packages can be purchased separately. The Orange package includes 35 channels focused on sports and family channels, while the Blue package includes 43 other channels, including news and general entertainment. Each is $40 a month, or you can combine the two for just $55. Like YouTube TV, it has other add-ons and additional packages for international and Latin channels.
YouTube TV could, in theory, do something similar. If Sling can pull off these deals, it could be YouTube TV with huge subscriber numbers probably fix it too. The key to this happening is likely the higher cost of individual plans compared to a bundled package, as this helps make up for the lack of cost spread.
Since YouTube TV has been offering additional channels and packages for some time now, the technical structure for this is somewhat more in place. This will likely require a series of new negotiations with content providers, but it is indeed time. Especially now many subscribe to YouTube TV just The rising cost of the NFL Sunday Ticket base package makes this service unaffordable for many.
Will it ever happen? Personally, I hope so, but I’m not sure. Despite the ever-increasing price of the service, people continue to sign up because at the end of the day, YouTube TV offers the best overall product. $83 a month may be the breaking point for many, but I suspect the idea of cheaper, more flexible pricing plans won’t be taken seriously until people stop paying for the current model.
What do you think?
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