YouTube TV Ushers in a New Era of Television Entertainment

YouTube TV is transforming the traditional television landscape and ushering in a new era of entertainment by changing the way we consume live content. Streaming has been on the rise since 2007, when Netflix came on the scene, and has gained such popularity that people all over the world have been trading in their cable TV boxes for services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime TV, Disney+ and Apple TV. This “cord-cutting” trend saw its beginnings with millennials, and the world has followed suit.

YouTube TV offers something different than other streaming services (save for its competitor, Hulu+). It allows us to watch live TV broadcasts like local and national news, sports, documentaries, movies, TV shows, and cartoons. The service is more akin to traditional cable, making it a fantastic cost-effective alternative. YouTube TV delivers a customized viewing experience that puts the control into the hands of the consumer – a most attractive feature for today’s audiences. YouTube TV is changing the paradigm of television as we know it, and cable companies will surely have to adapt to keep up with the momentum.

A New Era of Entertainment

YouTube TV has extensive, highly customizable programming options. Comparatively, traditional cable TV offers set packages of channels, many of which you don’t even like but will be paying for, nonetheless. YouTube TV offers over 100 channels of sports, local and national news, entertainment, and premium channels like Starz and Showtime, while cable often offers something of the like, bundling it with internet and home phone service. YouTube TV also offers plenty of on-demand shows and movies, allowing viewers to watch their favorite content at any time. It also offers Add-ons, which are extra-cost channels, like the new NFL Sunday Ticket that has come to YouTube TV for the 2023 season. Let’s get into YouTube TV’s features and channels before comparing the service to traditional cable and other options.

Features of YouTube TV

So, what are those Add-ons we’re talking about? Add-ons are channels that are not included in the base cost of YouTube TV but can be added on to the package to customize your experience. These are groups of channels or individual channels, such as premium channels like HBO, HBO Max, Starz, Showtime, and MGM+. There is also a “Sports Plus Add-on” and “Spanish Plus Add-on.”

For the Spanish speaking community, there is a Spanish Network with many top channels. A full list of these channels plus Add-ons is included in the YouTube TV+ Channels slideshow below this section.

The service does up to 1080p resolution (1920×1080), so you’re not stuck with regular old 720p (720×1280) like many television programs on cable if the programs broadcast at 1080p. There is a 4K Plus Add-on, which, of course allows for the viewing of 4K content, but their 4K availability currently is slim pickin’s. The content that is 4K, however, looks great.

Since it’s a streaming service, all that’s needed is an internet connection – your current provider is perfectly fine – and a computer to set up once prompted on the sign up or sign in screen on the TV or device YouTube TV will be streamed on. That can be anything: TV, computer, tablet, smartphone. Click here for a list of compatible devices.

Have Google TV? The two work together. Personal recommendations from YouTube TV and streaming services appear in one place and peruse through channels in the Live tab. The remote even has a programmable button for YouTube TV. 

A single YouTube TV plan can be shared with up to six accounts, and up to three devices can stream simultaneously. Each account has its own personalized recommendations for content to watch and can customize their Live guide.

The unlimited cloud storage DVR aspect (at no extra cost) to YouTube TV is something that sets it apart from other streaming services, aside from the fact that viewers can stream Live nationwide and local network TV channels. Users can record upcoming episodes of a show to their library for later viewing by selecting it from the Live guide and clicking the plus icon. Each account gets its own personal library space that can be streamed from anywhere, with no limit on concurrent recordings, and recordings are kept for nine months. 

Availability of on demand TV shows will vary depending on each program’s rebroadcasting rights. Content can also be found by searching through categories, and selecting a channel logo, such as CBS, from the live guide. The live guide itself is a user-friendly interface akin to that of cable TV. All of this for a single monthly fee – more on that later – with no hidden fees. With cable TV, you may not be so “lucky.”

YouTube TV’s Channels

YouTube TV’s 100+ channel list, with Add-ons for premium channels, Sports Plus Add-on, Spanish Plus Add-on, and the Spanish Network. Add-ons/Channels are subject to device and content availability.

 

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Cord-Cutting: A Cost-Effective Alternative to Traditional Cable TV

There are benefits to both YouTube TV and cable TV. Cable TV often has deals for bundles of TV, internet, and home phone. With YouTube TV, it’s just the TV part of the equation. Internet comes from any preferred provider – and home phone? Who has that anymore? In my life, that’s a rare find. If you do, then traditional cable providers might be more your jam. You’re on your own with that, too, if you choose YouTube TV.

YouTube TV doesn’t have any of the fees that a traditional provider usually has. Those include installation fees, the fee of renting your cable box – it’s not yours – DVR, broadcast, local channel fees, and, of course, if you want to cancel: a cancellation fee. YouTube TV, as mentioned, is free to try, then one monthly fee (additional fees for the add-ons you purchase) – and no cancellation fee.

Traditional services cost more, often have hidden fees, and typically their deals only last so long before you find yourself being borderline extorted for the same services you thought you had a good deal on just the month before. Take the case of our editor, Art Feierman, who recently made the switch from traditional cable services with Xfinity to YouTube TV and TMobile 5G Internet.

Art used Xfinity for a bundle of cable and internet, and for having two services with them, received a $20 discount. He had a separate $49 discount on top of that, and when that was set to expire, the price of his internet (without cable) was going to jump to $169 per month. Losing the cable TV part of the bundle makes the internet more expensive, which is how those traditional companies keep you hostage, making you think there isn’t a better way.

The decision to switch to YouTube TV, and at the same time, say goodbye to cable-based internet, was a no-brainer for Art. His $99 internet dropped to a $50/mo bill with T-Mobile 5G Internet. Check out some of those costs below, so you can see for yourself.

With YouTube TV + T-Mobile 5G Home Internet:  

$64.99/mo ($10/mo less for first 3 months) 

$50 for T-Mobile 

Total: $115/month (plus taxes and tags)

YouTube TV and Xfinity Fast Internet 

$169 for Fast Internet (without any promos available) ($119 with a one-year promo if available!)

$64.99/mo ($10/mo less for first 3 months) 

Total: $185 – $235/month (plus taxes and tags)

Xfinity Cable and Fast Internet

$235 for both

-$20 for two bundle
Total: $219 (unless you can get a 1 year $50/month promo discount; the one Art was going to lose that prompted the switch, and we don’t know if it is still available)

Now, YouTube TV has a special going on that saves $30 off the first three months of their Base Plan, and $60 off the first three months of their Spanish Plan. Check out those prices below.

YouTube TV Base Plan Pricing

Price: $54.99/mo for First 3 Months, $64.99 Thereafter ($30 off first 3 months)

Stream 100+ channels of your favorite live and local TV – with the option to add extra networks

• Top entertainment, news, live sports, and more in English and Spanish
• Unlimited DVR space and storage for 90 days
• 6 accounts to share with your household
• Options to get more Spanish content for an additional $14.99/mo

YouTube TV Spanish Plan Pricing

Price: $24.99/mo for First 3 Months, $34.99 Thereafter ($60 off first 3 months)

Get the best of YouTube TV – with the lineup of only Spanish networks

• 28+ Spanish networks of live sports, telanovelas, shows and more
• Unlimited DVR space and storage for 90 days
• 6 accounts to share with your household

YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV

Okay, so you know that traditional cable companies may not actually be saving you money, and a live TV streaming service plus your preferred internet provider could be the way to go. So, why would you choose YouTube TV over Hulu + Live TV? It really depends on what you’re into. They’re quite similar in theory, but each has their own benefits and drawbacks. Both will have you cutting the cord and ditching that cable TV box. Hulu + Live TV comes with Disney+ and ESPN+, all of these will have ads – and it does have a bit heftier of a price tag, though not enough to make me turn my head (especially with the bonus of Disney+ and ESPN+). I’ve done a comparison chart and have a slideshow of Hulu + Live TV’s channels below.

Both YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV offer aspects of the traditional cable TV experience. YouTube TV’s channel lineup is extensive. Hulu + Live TV, while it offers a more limited selection of channels, still provides local and national news, documentaries, movies, TV shows and cartoons, all live. It is bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, and gives access to all of Hulu’s library, which has cable bundle feels. If Hulu + Live TV has all the channels you’re interested in, and you dig those three services, this may be the one to look at when cutting the cord. It does cost more, but not by much, and you’re getting quite a few streaming services in addition to live TV. 

By the way, YouTube TV compares its service to Hulu + Live TV on their website, and hysterically, they have the wrong information posted. The price is off by $5 (making it $5 less than it actually is), and they quote that Hulu + Live TV has 75+ channels. They’re not wrong there, but it’s not as impressive as the actual factual 85+. Basically, they have old information and an update to their website is in order. It happens to us all.

Check out Hulu + Live TV’s channel list that they provide on their website below.

 

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The Future of Television

In the same way that Netflix and other streaming services changed the way film studios distribute content and pay royalties on that content – even seeing more “original” content –services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV will change the way TV programs are filmed, broadcasted, and the rebroadcast rights.

As the landscape becomes clearer, the lines more clean between these areas, content providers will begin charging more to ensure the creators (we’re talking about the creative forces behind the programs too – actors, directors, editors, news anchors, etc., in addition to the suits) get their fair compensation. Much of that “burden” will fall on the consumer eventually, but with so many people shouldering that burden, it will be seen in dollars, cents, not a huge raise, and will likely be done slowly over time.

On the consumer level, reason for the trend of cord cutting is easy to see, coming down to several factors:

Affordability: Streaming services – Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime TV, HBO Max, Apple TV, and now full live TV streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV – are more affordable than traditional cable, even with a bundle.
Convenience: Streaming services are available on most any device you could want to watch your TV on, from phones to tablets, computers to TVs. The ability to watch on the go is a major plus of a service like YouTube TV.
Customization: YouTube TV (and its competitor, Hulu + Live TV) offers a personalized viewing experience, with Add-ons, so you have all the channels you want, and not so many of the ones you don’t.
Quality: Streaming services offer high-quality content, with increasingly more as the months go on. Original programming and exclusive content that is not available on traditional cable TV can be found on these services. NFL Sunday Ticket is now on YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV includes all of Hulu’s original content.

On-Demand Content: Streaming services like YouTube TV provide access to live content, and on-demand content, allowing users to watch many of their favorite shows and movies whenever they desire. Availability of on-demand content depends on rebroadcasting rights, so do know that not everything will be available – and that’s true of any service.

YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and streaming services that join the fray will continue to reshape the television industry. As competition increases, traditional cable TV providers will face growing pressure to adapt to ever-evolving consumer preferences and provide more affordable and convenient options for accessing content. Streaming services will invest even more capital into their original content, producing more high-quality, exclusive content for their platforms and cutting out the middleman. Studios will have to adapt. Many have, with their own streaming services available, through subsidiaries and other creative means. Movie theaters, unfortunately, may continue to suffer from this trend, and if we desire to keep those around, we will have to do our part with date nights, family outings, and friend group movie dates.

Personalization is the name of the game when it comes to streaming, and this is likely to continue to improve. With algorithms getting smarter all the time, and AI becoming excitingly intelligent and integrated into our society, more personal recommendations will be on the horizon. We can also expect integration with other services to be on the rise. YouTube TV and Google TV have integrated, which is hardly surprising as the parent company, Google, would keep its interests interlinked. However, we should see more gaming platforms, virtual assistants, TVs, home entertainment and home theater projectors, and who knows what else, become more integrated with streaming services.

YouTube TV and streaming services like it will drive change and innovation within the television and entertainment industry, providing consumers with more options for watching content. They are shaping the way we consume our entertainment, news, and sports – now, and in the future.
Conclusion

YouTube TV is ushering in a new era of entertainment by offering a more personalized and affordable alternative to traditional cable TV. It offers over 100 channels, with Add-ons for premium, sports, and Spanish networks, the ability to stream live TV, record episodes for later, and access on-demand content. Untethered to the home, you can enjoy your content on the go via a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and stream on multiple devices while sharing with up to six members of your family. These features are a massive shift away from traditional television into user-centric model, making television entertainment accessible and convenient for all. Embrace the future of television streaming, cut the cord, and save yourself a boatload of cash.