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Ever had a cable bill jump by 30% in a single month? That’s what subscribers of YouTube TV are feeling now after a price hike from $50 to $65 taking place July 31. While the service did get some extra channels in the form of Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon, they’re not worth another $15 a month for most subscribers. YouTube TV is still the easiest live TV streaming service to use and the one with the most channels and best features, but it’s no longer our top overall choice. That honor goes to Hulu Plus Live TV, which costs $55 a month, has an excellent slate of essential channels and includes Hulu’s vast on-demand library.
LikeMore channels than any competitor, including PBSSuperb cloud DVRExcellent on-screen interface and handy search bar
If you’re the kind of cord cutter who can stomach the $65 price, however, YouTube TV could still be for you. It’s easy to use, slick and fast on a variety of TV and mobile devices. Its cloud DVR is the best in the business, with unlimited storage and pretty much all the capabilities of a hardware DVR such as TiVo. And that channel selection is top-notch, including numerous cable staples and coverage of all four local networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — in most markets nationwide. (Editors’ note: CBS and Showtime are owned by ViacomCBS, which also owns CNET.) It’s also the only multichannel streaming service with local PBS stations. In short, you might not even miss cable.
YouTube TV is more expensive than Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now and Fubo TV, but better than all three if you can handle the price. For people used to the myriad channels and easy DVR of cable or satellite, it may be worth the extra expense. For cord cutters who want more savings, however, we recommend Hulu Plus Live TV for premium users and Sling TV Blue at $30 per month for people on tighter budgets.
What do you get?
YouTube TV is different from YouTube, the free video service with more than 2 billion users a month. YouTube TV offers an experience similar to cable TV, with live channels and on-demand content available on a variety of devices. It works with Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV along with numerous smart TVs, phones, tablets and web browsers.
The service operates in much the same way as competitors — there’s a program guide, a DVR and dozens of channels. But what really separates YouTube TV from other premium ($50-plus a month) services such as AT&T TV Now, Hulu with Live TV and FuboTV? Let’s take a look.
Services compared
Premium services
YouTube TV
AT&T TV Now
Hulu Plus Live TV
FuboTV
Base price
$65 a month for 85+ channels
$55 a month for 45+ channels
$55 a month for 60+ channels
$60 a month for 90+ channels
Total number of popular (top 100) channels
75
45
59
68
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Record shows for later (cloud DVR)
Yes (keep for 9 months)
Yes (500 hours, keep for 30 days)
Yes (50 hours, 200 hours for $10 a month)
Yes (500 hours)
Step-up packages with more channels
No
Yes
No
Yes
Simultaneous streams per account
3
3
2 ($15 option for unlimited)
3
Fast-forward through or skip commercials with cloud DVR
Yes
Yes
No (Yes with $15 option)
Yes
YouTube TV’s channel selection is excellent, with more from our list of 100 top channels than any other competitor. That said, more channels doesn’t necessarily mean more of what you want: Some services such as FuboTV lean heavily on sports while others are more wide-ranging. It’s best to check the list at the end of this article, which compares individual channels across services, to make sure you’re getting the channels you want.
Like Hulu, YouTube TV doesn’t offer any add-on channel packages, although it does have a handful of single-channel add-ons like Showtime, Epix, HBO and HBO Max to your subscription.
What’s it like to use?
YouTube TV’s user interface is fairly simple. There are three top-level tabs broken into Library, Home and Live. Library is where your DVR content lives. Home is where both featured and live thumbnails appear. The Live tab is a familiar-looking program grid which shows currently playing and upcoming shows. You can search for content from the top of any page, which makes it relatively easy to jump straight to the content you want. You can also perform searches with a compatible voice remote or Google Assistant.
You can connect to YouTube to watch related clips.
Ty Pendlebury/CNET
The service’s tie-in to YouTube proper is welcome — with YouTube originals included — though it could be more tightly integrated, especially on TV devices. For example, a content page appears when you press the Go To button on a show, and a Related on YouTube item appears at the bottom. It would be helpful to have thumbnails of related interviews and trailers appear more prominently on this page without having to delve into menus.
The DVR works well and includes the ability to rewind and fast-forward freely through recordings, even ones that aren’t yet completed. The Roku interface offers a 15-second skip by default while the Apple TV’s control system is even better. You can use the touch pad to scroll through videos — and it’s glorious! It’s so much fun and thumbnails make it relatively easy to home in on the part you want.
The DVR enables you to fast-forward and rewind, while Apple TV enables you to scrub through the timeline.
Sarah Tew/CNET
In the past, when a show appeared in a network’s on-demand library, it would automatically replace the version in your cloud DVR. That means you’d lose the ability to fast-forward through commercials. YouTube TV says it got rid of that restriction in October 2018, but some CNET readers have complained that it still occurs at times. Additionally, YouTube TV’s DVR is not truly unlimited. The shows expire after nine months, but this is still a lot longer than the 30 days you get with most rivals.
YouTube TV won’t save you as much money
At $50 YouTube TV was very attractive, but as the service has added more channels it also added further costs. When you add that $65 monthly fee to the $50 you’re already paying for internet, it means you’re paying over $110 a month. Many cable TV providers will give you a TV-and-internet bundle for around the same money.
Prices vary a lot, of course, and with cable you probably have to pay rental equipment fees, taxes and other extras. And cable providers usually reserve the best bundle pricing for people who sign a contract. The same goes for new “streaming” offerings such as AT&T TV and Comcast’s Infinity Flex.
Like Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and others, YouTube TV is contract-free, so you can cancel at any time. Streaming services also have other advantages over cable. They’re easier to watch on phones and tablets, for example. At $65 per month, however, you’ll have to be coming from a relatively expensive cable bill to realize substantial savings with YouTube TV. In the meantime, give Hulu Plus Live TV a try.
The service comes with a comprehensive program guide.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Should you get YouTube TV?
If price is no object, YouTube TV is my favorite live streaming service, but the value proposition will be tough for a lot of people. If you don’t want to be beholden to a traditional cable company — and can get a good broadband-only internet package on the cheap — it’s Hulu Plus Live TV that offers the most compelling package right now. It has an improved interface (finally) and a good mix of channels for $10 less a month. For serious cord cutters on a budget, however, Sling TV is a better bet, especially when paired with an antenna or even AirTV 2.
Channel lineups compared
Channel
Hulu with Live TV ($55)
AT&T TV Now ($55)
Fubo TV ($60)
YouTube TV ($65)
Total no of top channels:
59
45
68
75
ABC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
CBS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
PBS
No
No
No
Yes
CW
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MyNetworkTV
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
A&E
Yes
$
Yes
No
ACC Network
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
AMC
No
$
Yes
Yes
Animal Planet
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
BBC America
No
$
Yes
Yes
BBC World News
No
$
$
Yes
BET
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Big Ten Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Bloomberg TV
No
$
No
No
Boomerang
Yes
Yes
No
No
Bravo
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cartoon Network
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
CBS Sports Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Cheddar
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cinemax
$
$
No
$
CMT
No
$
Yes
Yes
CNBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
CNN
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Comedy Central
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cooking Channel
$
$
$
No
Destination America
$
$
$
No
Discovery Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Disney Channel
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Disney Junior
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Disney XD
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
DIY
$
$
$
No
E!
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
EPIX
No
$
No
$
ESPN
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ESPN 2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ESPNEWS
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
ESPNU
Yes
$
$
Yes
Food Network
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Fox Business
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox News
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox Sports 1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fox Sports 2
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Freeform
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FX
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FX Movies
Yes
Yes
$
Yes
FXX
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FYI
$
$
Yes
No
Golf Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Hallmark
No
Yes
Yes
No
HBO
$
$
No
$
HGTV
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
History
Yes
$
Yes
No
HLN
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
IFC
No
$
Yes
Yes
Investigation Discovery
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
Lifetime
Yes
$
Yes
No
Lifetime Movie Network
$
$
Yes
No
MLB Network
No
$
No
Yes
Motor Trend
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
MSNBC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MTV
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
MTV2
No
$
$
No
National Geographic
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nat Geo Wild
Yes
Yes
$
Yes
NBA TV
No
$
$
Yes
NBC Sports Network
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Newsy
No
No
$
Yes
NFL Network
No
No
Yes
No
NFL Red Zone
No
No
$
No
NHL Network
No
$
$
No
Nickelodeon
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nick Jr.
No
Yes
Yes
No
Nicktoons
No
$
$
No
OWN
No
$
Yes
Yes
Oxygen
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Paramount Network
No
$
Yes
Yes
Science
$
$
$
No
SEC Network
Yes
$
$
Yes
Showtime
$
$
$
$
Smithsonian
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Starz
$
$
No
$
Sundance TV
No
$
Yes
Yes
Syfy
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tastemade
No
$
Yes
Yes
TBS
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
TCM
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Telemundo
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tennis Channel
No
$
$
Yes
TLC
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
TNT
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Travel Channel
Yes
$
Yes
Yes
TruTV
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
TV Land
No
$
Yes
Yes
USA Network
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
VH1
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Viceland
Yes
$
Yes
No
Weather Channel
No
$
Yes
No
WE tv
No
$
Yes
Yes
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