Google is the latest company to enter the internet TV space. YouTube TV is coming soon, and the $35/month service will let you watch dozens of channels live over the internet, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, ESPN, USA, and FX.

There’s also a cloud DVR feature that lets you save programs for later viewing.

YouTube TV isn’t live yet, but you can sign up to be notified when it’s available in your area.

For the most part, the service sounds a lot like rivals Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now.

But YouTube TV has a few nifty features, including unlimited storage for the cloud DVR function. You can save as many shows simultaneously as you want and you don’t have to worry about running out of space. There is one caveat though: recordings are only saved for 9 months, so you can’t keep episodes or movies indefinitely.

Google also lets you link up to 6 accounts for a single price. And a YouTube TV subscription also gets you access to YouTube Red original movies and web series…. which I suppose might eventually get better now that Google has a new revenue stream for this kind of content?

At launch it looks like Google will include 44 network channels including those listed above and SyFy, Disney, and MSNBC, although it’s worth noting that the number includes multiple ESPEN, Disney, and Fox channels, among others.

There are also optional add-on networks including Showtime and Fox Soccer Plus. And Google says it’s reached deals with local TV stations to stream local news programs based on your location.

YouTube TV takes a mobile-first approach: apps will be available for Android and iOS. But you can also stream content to a TV via Chromecast or watch on any laptop or desktop with a web browser.

I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV support… but who knows? Maybe Google will decide the benefits of making the subscription service available everywhere outweigh those of locking customers into the company’s own platforms.

via YouTube Blog

 

 

 

 

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15 replies on “YouTube TV: Live streaming TV for $35 per month (with 40 channels, cloud DVR)”

  1. No Comedy Central?

    I think laughing is essential these days.

    And, once again, Google shows that smart wins the race.

  2. I’d be interested in $35 a month if they bundled a deal on YouTube’s $2.99 movie rentals. Something like $2.99 without a YouTube TV subscription, $.99 with a subscription. Then the $35 would be worth it. Otherwise, any savvy internet user can go to the internet sites of each of these networks and stream content.

  3. Sounds like the cable companies. Here buy all these channels if you want to use our service. I have an antenna and a Channelmaster DVR+ so I can record all the local channels already. Why also pay for them?

  4. Commenters on other sites have wondered if YouTube TV will be incorporated in the standard YouTube app (the YouTube blog just says “works on both Android and iOS”). If this is the case, it might be possible to access it from Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV.

    If any company has the infrastructure to pull this off, it has to be Google (or maybe Amazon, despite the recent outages). The unlimited cloud DVR storage is very, very attractive. (Although I suspect it might lack desirable features such as fast-forward.)

    Of course, like any streaming video service, you’ll need decent download speeds and a large data usage cap.

    If this was available in Canada, I’d go for it in a heartbeat, since my ISP offers unlimited data. Unfortunately, I suspect it will be a long time before YouTube TV ever shows up here. 🙁

  5. I read somewhere else that it was select markets at first. So I bet this is gonna be just like View where they only have locals lined up for a handful of cities and it will roll out slowly from there.
    I was hoping Youtube Red itself would be included.
    All in all I might be into this but doubt it matters as probably a long time until it’s actually available where I live.

    1. Hopefully they’re going to include the Google Fiber cities (would make sense). I’m probably not likely to subscribe, since I’ve been a longtime cord cutter and gotten out of the habit of network TV, but I know some people who would be interested in cutting back on their cable bill, especially since it includes sports channels.

      1. It does make sense. But I thought the same thing about Sling. They already supply locals to a lot of markets via their dish offering. It doesn’t seem to be related though. So perhaps Google Fiber also won’t play a role.
        We won’t know until we know I guess.

  6. So, color me interested. I currently have a subscription to DirecTV Now and I like it fine. Honestly, having the networks included is not a huge get, but it might be come football season.

    Currently, paying $35 for DirecTV Now. I would quickly switch to YouTube TV. I’d bet a dollar that Google’s offering will be better than AT&Ts.

    The 1 channel I see that Google doesn’t show is MLB. But, I usually just watch that during spring training. When the regular season begins I watch games on FSN and ESPN.

    Will be interested to know when this will be available.

    1. I did see something in another article about not being able to stream some NFL (I think) games to smart phones due to Verizon’s exclusive deal.

    2. I had the same thought. Live sports are one of the last things that make live TV attractive to me. I suspect that there will be some compromises here because sports licensing is so complex and valuable.

      1. DirecTV Now’s app is flaky, but generally works well. When streaming to Chromecast, you can switch between channels and there’s about a 5 second lag. Not as good as cable, but still not bad. The Guide could use some work.

        In my experience, Watch ESPN is the best app for streaming and Chromecasting live TV. It’s solid and almost always has a great quality image.

        I’m suggesting that YouTube TV is more likely to be like ESPN than like DirecTV. And I would put a while dollar on it.

    3. There’s always MLB.TV. Looks like they have a single team package now, which includes the spring training games for all the teams, and they always have one free game a day, even if you’re not a subscriber to anything, if you’re not too fussy about the teams you want to watch.

      1. Understood, but I believe MLB.TV requires another subscription. MLB is included in DirecTV Now and I enjoy having it. But I wouldn’t pay extra for it.

        My preference would be that it was included in YouTube TV. But not including MLB probably won’t prevent me from switching over to YouTube TV.

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