YouTube TV Review

YouTube TV is one of the newer live TV streaming options, having launched just five years ago, 2017. While many live TV streamers are pretty similar, where the differences come in is with the number of channels offered and at what price tag. YouTube TV offers more channels than its competitors for the same amount of money. (We'll get into the specifics later on.)

While competitors including Sling TV and Philo TV are much more budget-friendly, they don't offer nearly as many channels as YouTube TV, plus you're limited on storage space. YouTube TV is a well-rounded live TV streaming service that caters to fans of movies and sports (to an extent) and everything in between.

In this YouTube TV review, we'll look at what YouTube TV is, the pricing, channels, and services available with a YouTube TV subscription.

Streaming service package information accurate as of 8/18/2022.

YouTube TV costs close to the same as two of its popular competitors — Hulu + Live TV and DIRECTV STREAM — but offers more channels and an unlimited amount of DVR storage. Sling TV costs less per month than YouTube TV, but it cannot compete on the number of channels or DVR storage.

How much does YouTube TV cost?

YouTube TV makes it easy to subscribe to the service with only one package option, which costs $65/mo. It comes with more than 85 channels, including local channels.

YouTube TV's base price includes an unlimited amount of cloud DVR storage, so you never have to miss any of your favorite shows or live TV moments. Additionally, each YouTube TV subscription comes with up to six accounts so family members can personalize their own titles.

YouTube TV channels and add-ons

With more than 85 channels, YouTube TV offers a robust lineup. You'll find everything from entertainment to kids' shows and movies, to lifestyle, sports, and news.

Popular channels include Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, FX, USA Network, Food Network, MTV, Bravo, and CMT. You'll also have access to a wealth of sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Sports Network, and NFL Network.

Because YouTube TV has such a vast variety of channels, you'll be able to stream some of your favorite shows, from Grey's Anatomy on ABC, House Hunters Internationalon HGTV, SpongeBob Squarepants on Nickelodeon, and more. You can also get your news from popular news channels (including MSNBC and BBC) so you can stay up to date on what's happening in the world.

YouTube TV offers both service and channel add-ons. With its 4K Plus add-on, you'll get 4K viewing on titles that offer that level of quality. Additionally, you'll be able to watch DVR recordings offline on your mobile devices and have an unlimited amount of simultaneous streams at home. This add-on has an introductory price of $10/mo. After the first year, it increases to $20/mo. You can try it out with a free 30-day trial.

YouTube TV also has Sports Plus and Entertainment Plus add-ons, as well as add-on options for more than 20 premium channels. The 16 channels included with the Sports Plus package —  which costs $11/mo. — are beIN Sports, beIN Sports Xtra, Billiard TV, Fox Soccer Plus, GOLTV, MAVTV, NFL RedZone, Outside TV, PlayersTV, PokerGO+, SportsGrid, Stadium, Stadium College Sports, TVG, TVG2, and VSiN. The Entertainment Plus add-on, which is $30/mo., includes HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz.

Among the premium add-on networks are AMC+ ($7/mo.), Cinemax ($10/mo.), Comedy Dynamics ($5/mo.), CuriosityStream ($3/mo.), Docurama ($5/mo.), Epix ($6/mo.), Hallmark Movies Now ($6/mo.), HBO Max ($15/mo.), MLB TV ($27/mo.), NBA League Pass ($40/mo.), Showtime ($11/mo.), Starz ($9/mo.), and more.

YouTube TV top channels compared

With more than 85 channels, YouTube TV offers some of the most popular channels available. Among the most notable channels that are not included are A&E, Bloomberg, History Channel, and Lifetime. However, in terms of the number of missing channels, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV are quite similar — and YouTube TV offers a few that Hulu +Live TV does not.

YouTube TV features

Unlimited DVR storage
One of YouTube TV's top selling points is its unlimited amount of cloud DVR storage that is included in the monthly fee. With the cloud DVR storage, you can pre-program your favorite shows to automatically record and then keep them for up to nine months.

Pro league networks and sports channels
While YouTube TV is a bit lacking in regional sports networks, you will still have a lot of channels to pick. YouTube TV subscribers can get a wealth of sports programming at no extra charge. This is due to the base package including three pro league networks — MLB Network, NBA TV, and NFL Network — along with more than 20 sports channels. In addition to the channels previously mentioned, this also includes college channels including ACC Network, Big 10 Network, ESPNU, and SEC Network.

Ease of use
YouTube TV keeps it simple by only offering one package so you don't have to worry about comparing one to another. Instead of three or more packages to analyze to see which ones carry your favorite channels or offer ads or not, YouTube TV puts everything you'll need into a single package. You can then supplement that package with individual channel add-ons, but the majority of what most subscribers will need is right in the base package. This makes signing up for the service quick and easy — leaving you plenty of time to start streaming.

YouTube TV supported devices

YouTube TV can be watched on many TVs and most streaming sticks, mobile devices, computers, and gaming consoles. Among these are:

• Apple AirPlay
• Amazon Fire TV Stick and Amazon Fire tablets
• Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K
• Apple iPhone and Apple iPad
• Android TV (Google TV)
• Google Chrome web browser
• Google Chromecast
• Mozilla Firefox browser
• Hisense TVs (select models)
• LG TVs (webOS)
• Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
• Roku
• Samsung (Tizen)
• Tivo
• Vizio (SmartCast TV)
• Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One

Is YouTube TV worth it?

Yes, YouTube TV is worth it, especially as one of the most complete and comprehensive live TV streaming services available. It has a generous channel offering and extra features for its moderate price of $65/mo., beating the competition handily. Hulu + Live TV is YouTube TV's biggest competitor, but with YouTube TV, you're saving $5/mo. for nearly the same service.

And with YouTube TV's no-fuss signup process that saves you time in deciding what to get, you're streaming in no time. Additionally, there is a seven-day YouTube TV free trial so you can test the service before signing up.