If you’re considering cutting the cord, ditching your high-priced cable service, and finally becoming free of all those aggressive cable company contracts, you NEED YouTube TV.
Rated the best overall TV streaming service in 2020 by CNET and voted PCMag Editors’ Choice 2020, YouTube TV offers a wide variety of upsides when it comes to streaming options.
If you’ve been wondering which streaming service gives you the best bang for your buck, hang on as we fill you in on all the pros and cons of YouTube TV.
What Is YouTube TV
Very simply, YouTube TV is a subscription-based live TV streaming service. It offers popular programming from local live television channels and popular cable networks at a fraction of the price of cable providers. With YouTube TV you can watch live sports, news, and must-see-television as soon as it airs. Included with your YouTube TV subscription is unlimited cloud DVR storage that allows you to record your favorites and watch them on the go.
Also Read: Is Hulu Live Worth the Money? 8 Things You Need to Know
Just like YouTube, you can watch YouTube TV on your smartphone, tablet, computer, laptop, or smart TV. The subscription offers up to 6 accounts per household, so you can share your subscription between the family or your roommates. It also allows 3 simultaneous streams at one time per household so you can watch TV in separate rooms, devices, or states all at the same time.
Also Read: How to Use Kodi: An Essential Guide
If you have a normal television, you can adapt it to be like a smart TV using Roku, Amazon Firestick, XBOX1, Playstation, and Chromecast. Through these services, you can just download the YouTube TV app and be up and running in minutes.
What Networks Are Available
YouTube TV offers a wide variety of local television programming and popular TV networks for news, sports, lifestyles, kids, and more. With 70+ channels to choose from, it provides a lot of content compared to other streaming services. Right now, the YouTube TV free trial is offered for two weeks to see if it is right for you. So…what networks can you find on YouTube TV?
Local Networks
Through YouTube TV you can still watch your live local networks like NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS, and more.
This will allow you to watch your favorite local news coverage, sports, and popular must-see television just like you would with a cable subscriber — only they don’t charge you for it.
Sports
With YouTube TV, you get a wide variety of sports channels at your disposal. For the big sports nut, YouTube TV is sure to whet your appetite.
A few of the sports networks offered with YouTube TV are ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN News, ESPNU, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, Tennis Channel, and more.
Sports used to be the Achilles heel of cable users. This is no longer a problem with YouTube TV. Perhaps that is why since 2012, over 10 million TV subscribers have moved over to streaming services.
News
YouTube TV is an excellent streaming option for the big news junkie in your family. Some networks provided with the YouTube TV subscription include CNN, BBC, CNBC, FOX, MSNBC, TYT, and more.
Lifestyle
You don’t have to give up your favorite must-see television with YouTube TV. Included in the package of over 70+ channels are lifestyle favorites like AMC, Bravo, FX, E, Food Network, HGTV, TBS, TNT, and USA just to name a few.
Family
Not to be outdone, YouTube TV offers many family favorites, such as Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, PBS Kids, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and more.
Additional Networks
If all this wasn’t enough, they offer even more at an additional cost to your subscription. Some of these channels include HBO, HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and more.
It should be stated that HBO Max is set to become its own streaming service, and YouTube will provide much of the programming that comes on that service. It’s a win-win!
Pros and Cons of YouTube TV
Just as with any service, there are some pros and cons that come along with YouTube TV. To create the following list of pros and cons we used information from other streaming services like Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, and AT&T Now Live.
PROS
YouTube TV has several pros when considering its live TV streaming service against its competitors and cable television. The obvious ones include no hidden fees, no contracts, 70+ channels with live television programming and on-demand viewing, and a name you can trust.
Also Read: How Does Sling TV Work on Multiple TVs or Devices?
Putting all that aside, here are some reasons they edge out competitors like Hulu with Live TV Plus, Sling TV, AT&T Live Now TV, and even cable:
- No DVR Fees
- Unlimited Cloud DVR storage
- Personal Library Space for up to 6 accounts
- Watch anywhere, at any time
CONS
One of the things we haven’t mentioned yet is the price of the subscription, and, unfortunately, that is one of our cons. While the number of benefits you get for the price is substantial, it won’t save you as much money each month as other streaming services.
Here is the list of reasons how YouTube TV falls short to the competition:
- The subscription price is $50 per month; Sling TV is $30 per month
- Only 3 simultaneous screens; Sling TV offers 4 for $45 per month
- Unlimited DVR storage only saves for 9 months
While YouTube costs more than Sling TV, it comes in slightly less than Hulu Plus Live TV and AT&T Live Now, which are both $55 per month. Also, while it only provides three simultaneous streams, Sling TV only offers 4 streams if you buy there more expensive package at $45 per month.
The Choice Is Yours
So there you have it, our pros and cons of YouTube TV. When it comes to purchasing services, you have to consider cost savings and value.
YouTube TV provides a lot of value, for a little less cost savings.
Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a cord-cutting experience that mimics cable TV, you can get much better than YouTube TV.
So what do you think? Let us know in the comments section below. If you are planning to create your own Youtube channel, you can can checkout our article why starting a youtube channel is worth it. Be sure to check back in on our blog to get all your tech questions answered.
