Effective immediately, the cost of YouTube TV is going up to $49.99 per month for new customers, or $54.99 for those subscribing through the App Store, reportedly because of the addition of several Discovery-owned channels. Existing subscribers will see a billing change take effect after May 13, Variety said. People paying via in-app subscription on Apple platforms will have to spend $54.99 per month, compensating for Apple's 15 to 30 percent revenue cut. The new networks include Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend. Another, OWN, will join YouTube's lineup by the end of 2019. Separately Epix is now available as an add-on, costing $3 per month. YouTube TV has grown to include over 70 default channels. It still has gaps, namely Viacom networks like Comedy Central, and some other premium options — most notably HBO. The hike likely reflects the increasing cost of acquiring content and scaling services to meet demand. In February, Hulu raised the cost of its Live TV package to $44.99 per month. DirecTV Now followed suit in March, pushing subscriptions to at least $50.<doc-sep>YouTube TV today announced a price hike for all users, first hitting new subscribers immediately and then arriving for existing subscribers beginning with billing cycles after May 13. The price hike will be a $10 increase on the monthly cost of the live TV streaming service, boosting the price of the platform to $49.99/month. The cost of YouTube TV will be even more if you subscribe to the service through one of Apple's devices, as those members will be billed at $54.99/month due to the 30 percent cut that Apple takes during the first year of an annual subscription. Apple's policy has resulted in divergent prices for numerous apps and services on the App Store, leading to legal battles with companies like Spotify. For YouTube TV, the company says that the price increase is so that it can keep bringing its customers "the best possible service," today including the addition of Discovery network branded channels. Eight total channels are being added to YouTube TV as of this week: Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend. EPIX is also available for an additional charge. That means YouTube TV has now grown to over 70 channels. The base price of the service also includes 6 accounts per household, a cloud DVR with no storage space limits, 3 concurrent streams, and local affiliate coverage in over 90 percent of the markets where YouTube TV is available (which is now all U.S. markets). With today's news of a price hike, YouTube TV is now the third major over-the-top streaming service to announce a price hike in the past month. DirecTV Now started the trend in early March with a $10/month price hike, then FuboTV followed later in the month with a $10/month price hike, and now YouTube TV customers are facing their own $10/month subscription increase. With the changes, Hulu With Live TV and PlayStation Vue are now the cheapest options among the major platforms, and YouTube TV sits in the middle in terms of cost for entry-level subscriptions. SlingTV - $25/month for "Orange and Blue" with limited-time discount - $25/month for "Orange and Blue" with limited-time discount Hulu With Live TV - $44.99/month - $44.99/month PS Vue - $44.99/month for "Access" tier - $44.99/month for "Access" tier YouTube TV - $49.99/month - $49.99/month DirecTV Now - $50/month for "Plus" and "Live a Little" - $50/month for "Plus" and "Live a Little" FuboTV - $54.99/month for "Standard" This is the third price hike in YouTube TV's history. The service originally cost $35/month and then increased its price to $40/month in the spring of 2018.<doc-sep>
YouTube TV is no longer the bargain it was when it launched in 2017. Google announced on Wednesday it's increasing the monthly price of YouTube TV from $39.99 to $49.99. And users billed through Apple will pay $54.99 per month. The price hike is effective immediately for all new subscribers. However, existing customers will see the price increase on their next billing cycle after May 13. Jacking up the monthly cost of YouTube TV surely won't sit well with customers, but it's not all bad news. In addition to the existing 70+ live TV networks and cloud DVR, YouTube TV's adding eight Discovery channels, including the Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend. YouTube TV also now includes EPIX. Later this year, YouTube TV subscribers will also get the Oprah Winfrey Network. YouTube TV now includes the Discovery network's channels. Image: lili sams / mashable YouTube TV launched in 2017 as a new way to ditch cable, and as a solid alternative to other TV streaming services like Sling TV, DirecTV Now and PlayStation Vue. For $35, this reporter praised YouTube TV for its simplicity, solid channel selection, and unlimited cloud DVR. I called it a "robust and modern way to watch live TV" in my review. And while more channels and enhanced features have been added to YouTube TV since then, the monthly cost keeps going up. Thirty-five bucks was a steal. Even at $40, YouTube TV was a good deal. But at $50 a month, I'm no longer so sure if YouTube TV is a great value anymore. Add on a couple of extra "add-on channels" such as Showtime and you could end up paying as much as you would've for cable and defeating the whole point of cutting the cord in the first place.