Google to Increase YouTube TV Price By 12%

YouTube TV will cost subscribers $72.99 per month beginning in April 2023.

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Published · 1 min read
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Written by Anna Helhoski
Senior Writer
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Edited by Laura McMullen
Assistant Assigning Editor
 
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Google says it plans to increase the monthly price of its streaming television service, YouTube TV, by $8 beginning in April, according to an email sent to subscribers on Thursday. 

YouTube TV subscribers will see their monthly cost rise from $64.99 to $72.99 — a 12% increase. Google cited increased content costs as the reason for the price change. 

In December, Google announced a multi-year agreement with the National Football League to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket, beginning in the 2023 NFL season. Subscribers will be able to choose it as an add-on package to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels within the regular YouTube platform. 

As of June 2022, YouTube TV reached 5 million subscribers and trial holders, according to its blog. The service was initially launched in February 2017 as an alternative to traditional cable television. At the time, YouTube TV cost $34.99 per month, which means the latest price jump represents a 108% increase from the original price. 

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Google’s announcement is just the latest monthly price hike among competing online streaming services. Here are some of the changes announced in the last year by popular streaming brands:   

  • HBO Max. In January 2023, it increased its ad-free plan price from $14.99 to $15.99 (+7%).

  • Disney+. In December 2022, it raised its price from $7.99 to $10.99 (+38%). It also introduced a cheaper price plan with ads at $7.99. 

  • Hulu. In November 2022, it raised its Hulu + Live TV plan from $69.99 to $74.99 (+7%). In October 2022, it increased prices for Hulu with ads from $6.99 to $7.99 (+14%) and for Hulu without ads from $12.99 to $14.99 (+15%).

  • Netflix. In November 2022, it introduced a basic plan with ads for $6.99 per month. In January 2022, it increased all of its existing plans: Basic rose from $8.99 to $9.99 (+11%); standard rose from $13.99 to $15.49 (+11%); and premium increased from $17.99 to $19.99 (+11%).

  • Apple TV+. In October 2022, its plan pricing increased from $4.99 to $6.99 (+40%).

Meanwhile, the typical cost for cable depends entirely on the provider and package. Television provider Cox, for example, charges $56 per month for basic channels, while a premium package costs up to $139 per month. 

Whether you have a YouTube TV, a cable package or no live TV, you still likely subscribe to a video streaming service. As of January 2023, about 89% of all U.S. households subscribe to at least one, according to Kantar, a marketing data and analytics company. The services with the largest gains in new subscribers by the end of 2022 were Amazon Prime Video, Peacock and Paramount+, Kantar data shows.

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