YouTube TV Review: Is This the Right Streaming Service to Cut the Cord?
According to CableTV.com's experts, YouTube TV is the best overall live TV streaming service out there, and we list all its pros and cons.
Is YouTube TV worth it?
After testing YouTube TV for over four years, I think it is an excellent live TV streaming service—and customers agree. In our annual Live TV Streaming Customer Satisfaction Survey, customers rated it very high in overall satisfaction and user experience.
YouTube TV isn’t the cheapest service, but I think it’s worth it for its features and performance. It has one of the fattest channel lineups in live TV streaming, the most straightforward user interface, and excellent reliability.
Read on to learn about YouTube TV and why I gave it our Best of the Best award for live TV streaming services for the third straight year.
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YouTube TV’s packages are competitively priced
| Plan | Price | Live channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo. | 100+ | 3 | Unlimited (for 9 mos.) | View plans |
| Spanish Plan | $34.99/mo. | 28+ | 3 | Unlimited (for 9 mos.) | View plans |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Depending on your area, YouTube TV offers 100+ live TV streaming channels for $82.99/mo., including cable favorites, local channels, and sports networks.
It’s a streamlined plan that doesn’t feature filler channels (music channels suck TBH) like cable and satellite TV providers.
YouTube TV also offers a Spanish-language plan that costs $34.99 a month. The standalone plan features over 28 Spanish-language channels—including ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, and Fox Deportes.
Bundle YouTube TV with internet for a better deal
| Bundle | Price | Live channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
YouTube TV + Frontier internet $10.00/mo. bundle discount |
$102.98–$272.98/mo. | 100+ | 3 | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
|
|
YouTube TV + WOW! internet $10.00/mo. bundle discount |
$102.99/mo.—$257.99/mo. | 100+ | 3 | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
|
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Looking to save some cash? Both Frontier fiber internet and WOW! offer internet bundles with a YouTube TV subscription, and they’re worth checking out if they’re available in your area. Enter your zip code below to see if you can bundle YouTube TV with internet.
YouTube TV stacks up well against the competition
Sure, YouTube TV costs a decent chunk of change per month, but it’s not the most expensive live TV streaming service out there. For example, similar plans from DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV are all more expensive. Also, keep in mind that it offers quality local channel coverage and a good swath of premium cable channels.
YouTube TV vs. every major TV provider
| TV provider | Price | Channel count | Tech | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | $71.00–$162.00/mo. | 75–250+ | Cable | View Plans |
| DIRECTV | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | 165–340+ | Satellite | View Plans |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | 90–185+ | Streaming | View plans |
| DISH Network | $96.99–$126.99/mo. | 190–290+ | Satellite | View Plans |
| Frndly TV | $6.99–$11.99/mo. | 50+ | Streaming | View plans |
| Fubo | $14.99–$94.99/mo. | 50–291+ | Streaming | View plans |
| Hulu + Live TV | $81.99–$95.99/mo. | 95+ | Streaming | View plans |
| Optimum | $15.00–$140.00/mo. | 50–250+ | Cable | View Plans |
| Philo | $28.00/mo. | 70+ | Streaming | View plans |
| Sling TV | $19.99–$60.99/mo. | 10–48+ | Streaming | View plans |
| Verizon Fios | $95.00–$139.00/mo. | 60–425+ | Fiber | View Plans |
| Xfinity | $35.00–$90.00/mo. | 10–185+ | Cable | View Plans |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo. | 100+ | Streaming | View plans |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
What might surprise you is that some cable and satellite TV providers offer cheaper plans than YouTube TV. For example, Xfinity and Spectrum have cheaper plans that offer more channels than YouTube TV, and you can get internet bundle discounts from those TV providers as well.
So, why choose YouTube TV over cable TV? Here are a couple of reasons: YouTube TV doesn’t charge extra fees, it comes with an unlimited Cloud DVR, and, according to our most recent surveys, it has higher customer satisfaction.
Those are just a few of the reasons why the writers of this article choose YouTube TV over cable TV. But don’t worry if you’re not quite ready to cut the cord; there are still good deals on cable TV plans out there.
It has all the channels I watched on cable TV for a much lower price. There's occasional buffering but other than that I'm very satisfied.
What are the downsides of YouTube TV?
YouTube TV’s biggest downside is its price. For a lot of customers, the latest price increase in December 2024 from $72.99/mo. to $82.99/mo. was a huge letdown. Basically, you’re paying the same price you would for that expensive cable TV package you so eagerly ditched a couple of years back. But YouTube TV doesn’t charge fees.
In terms of channels, we also don’t love the lack of FOX regional sports networks like YES and SNY, as well as other key channels including Lifetime, HISTORY, and VICE. However, it still has a pretty impressive lineup—see our full YouTube TV channel list for more information.
It’s also a bummer that you can’t fast-forward through YouTube TV ads while watching VOD content saved to your library. (YouTube, as always, loves its ads.) The good news is that YouTube TV usually gives you the option to watch recorded versions of the same shows and movies through its Cloud DVR, which allows you to fast-forward through commercials.
Watch 100+ channels with YouTube TV
YouTube TV’s mix of live TV streaming entertainment, sports, and news channels doesn’t look much different than a basic cable package—until you notice the lack of filler.
There’s no cable-package bloat like audio-only music or shopping networks (except for QVC), just a tight lineup of popular channels like Comedy Central, Paramount Network, MTV, AMC, Cartoon Network, ESPN, Disney Channel, FS1, FX, Syfy, TNT, USA Network, etc. YouTube TV trims the cable fat nicely.
YouTube TV also features local channels carrying ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Along with DIRECTV STREAM, it’s the only live TV streaming service that carries PBS and PBS Kids.
But watch out, cord-cutters: YouTube TV’s channel lineup is impressive, but it’s missing a few favorites. Networks like Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY, and VICE aren’t on YouTube TV (but you can get them on Philo, another service we like here at CableTV.com).
To see every channel on YouTube TV, check out our YouTube TV Channel Lineup Guide.
How to watch live sports on YouTube TV
With YouTube TV, you get plenty of football (including NFL Network), basketball (including NBA TV), soccer, and college b-ball games. Overall, YouTube TV’s live sports experience is as full as most cable providers’ upper-tier packages. But sorry, baseball and hockey fans, you won’t find MLB Network or NHL Network on YouTube TV. (But you can on Fubo.)
Also, YouTube TV recently dropped all FOX regional sports networks, as well as YES and NESN. If RSNs are a must-have, we’d suggest checking out DIRECTV STREAM or Fubo.
See our YouTube TV Channel Lineup Guide for a list of all the sports channels on YouTube TV.
How to watch local channels on YouTube TV
YouTube TV provides all the local channels and so much more. It is a good value for the money compared to cable TV.
The CW is the least available broadcast channel on YouTube TV (and all live TV streaming services), but all’s not lost in Riverdale. Any CW series can be called up on-demand in most cases, and The CW also offers its programming for free through its own streaming app. Both work similarly; it just depends on how much app-jumping you want to do.
Supplement your experience with YouTube TV add-ons
YouTube TV’s $82.99/mo. plan can be fortified with over 25 add-on packages from premium networks, like Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+, AMC+, NBA League Pass, and more. Most YouTube TV add-ons come with a seven-day free trial.
What do customers think of YouTube TV?
Long story short, customers rate YouTube TV very highly in terms of overall satisfaction. In our 2024 survey of live TV streaming customers, YouTube TV came in third overall, with niche streaming service Frndly and industry heavyweight Hulu + Live TV just barely beating it out.
In particular, YouTube TV customers were very satisfied with its reliability and user experience, but they weren’t keen on its $82.99/mo. price tag.
We agree $82.99/mo. can be too much cashola each month for most folks, but damn, that UX slaps (more on that below). And, its price point is a lot cheaper than most traditional cable packages, as one survey respondent noted below.
Not only that, but two of the three authors of this review are diehard YouTube TV customers. In particular, our Managing Editor, Mike Strayer, prefers to watch live sports on YouTube TV over Hulu + Live TV.
YouTube TV is incredibly convenient and cheaper than regular cable. We switched to YouTube TV because regular cable was too expensive.
YouTube TV offers Cloud DVR and multiple streams
For a live TV streaming service, YouTube TV really shines in terms of Cloud DVR storage, simultaneous streams, and user interface, which makes it an exciting streaming option for TV fans who watch a lot of shows.
Cloud DVR
| Service | Cloud DVR | Offline downloads |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | Unlimited (for 9 mos.) | Yes (w/ 4K Plus add-on, $19.99/mo.) |
YouTube TV gives you unlimited—yes, unlimited—Cloud DVR space. But not forever; YouTube dumps your saved recordings after nine months. Still, that’s a generous amount of space, and you can stream your recorded programming from anywhere on your mobile device.
Fast-forwarding through commercials in recorded shows is quick and intuitive, but there’s no skipping ads with some of YouTube TV’s on-demand programming. Even in the brave new world of streaming TV, you still can’t escape Swiffer spots.
Offline downloads are only available with YouTube TV’s 4K Plus add-on, which costs an extra $19.99 a month. It also gives you access to 4K content (if your TV device supports it) and unlimited in-network streams.
Multiple streams
| Service | Simultaneous streams | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | 3 | Unlimited (4K Plus, $19.99/mo.) |
YouTube TV gives you three simultaneous streams across streaming TV devices, computers, tablets, and phones. Conveniently, this counts within the same home network and outside of it, even while traveling throughout the U.S.
Unfortunately, YouTube TV can’t be accessed internationally—you’ll just have to go enjoy the beach or the museum, instead. Sorry.
A useful feature of YouTube TV is the ability to set up individual Family Sharing profiles. In addition to the original profile (which is set up through a Google account), Family Sharing lets five more people establish their own customizable profiles through their own Google accounts. Viewing preferences, DVR, and watch history are unique, and visible only to each account.
Those five accounts will still have to share just three streams, though. Bummer.
YouTube TV compatible devices
| Device | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ |
| Echo Show | ✔ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| Nintendo Switch | — |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ✔ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ |
| PlayStation 4, 5 | ✔ |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| TiVo Stream | ✔ |
| Wii | — |
| Xbox One | ✔ |
Data effective as of post date.
Despite the universality of YouTube, YouTube TV isn’t available on a few nontraditional devices, like the Nintendo Switch. But most other streaming devices are good to go with YouTube TV.
Is YouTube TV easy to use?
Channel guide and interface
Here’s a cool YouTube TV customization feature: You can arrange channels however you like. What? Brace yourselves, television traditionalists: YouTube TV, like other live TV streaming services, doesn’t assign numbers to its channels. You can, however, bring order to this anarchy by stacking your preferred channels to the top of the grid for quick access.
YouTube TV also comes with killer search capabilities, thanks to its association with a plucky little startup called Google. You’ve probably heard of it.
Video and audio quality
YouTube TV live streams in 720p at 60 fps (frames per second), the same HD quality as cable/satellite providers and most of the other streaming TV services you’re accustomed to.
Unlike other services, YouTube TV doesn’t currently stream any content in 4K HD or HDR (high dynamic range) quality (unless you buy the 4k Plus add-on). Don’t worry; the cat videos we talked about earlier still look as cute as ever.
YouTube TV’s content streams with standard 2.0 stereo audio, but Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (the audio quality you get with Blu-ray discs) isn’t yet available with the service.
Check your Mbps: With a solid internet connection, YouTube TV streams with little buffering or dropping out. We recommend DSL, cable, or fiber internet rated at 25 Mbps (megabytes per second) or faster.
YouTube TV review FAQ
How much does YouTube TV cost?
YouTube TV's monthly membership costs $82.99/mo.. Considering you get 100+ cable and local channels with no contract and unlimited cloud DVR storage, it's a decent deal compared to cable or satellite TV.
What are the YouTube TV packages?
YouTube offers two packages: the first is the standard $82.99/mo. for $82.99/mo. live channels. But there's also a standalone Spanish plan for $34.99/mo., which provides 28+ Spanish-language channels.
How does YouTube TV work?
YouTube TV works by streaming live TV through your web browser, mobile device apps, or streaming devices. Even though it has a similar interface, it's different from YouTube because it doesn't limit your viewing to uploaded videos, and it's a paid service (100+ live channels for $82.99/mo.).
How much does NFL Sunday Ticket cost on YouTube TV?
NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV costs $349.00 at the start of the NFL regular season. For an additional $40.00, YouTube TV subscribers can get NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone—giving you the most Sunday afternoon NFL coverage.
Why trust a CableTV.com review of YouTube TV
Our experts have logged thousands of hours of hands-on testing with YouTube TV, rating the streaming service on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched up YouTube TV with other live TV streaming services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses.
For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
Disclaimer
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
† Plus $82.99/mo. recurring for YouTube TV. Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
