Is Fubo or YouTube TV better?
YouTube TV is the most well-rounded live TV streaming service, and there’s no question why it’s a consumer favorite (including ours). Fubo doesn’t have everything YouTube TV has, like unlimited DVR storage, but it’s a top pick for those who want loads of channels.
Let’s get into the details of these two streaming services to see which is best for you and the fam.
Deals and promotions
Fubo gives you a chance to try out any of its four plans for free. We like how this service always hooks you up with a seven-day free trial, which is kind of rare in the live TV streaming world.
YouTube TV’s deals vary, especially during the start of a sports season, such as NFL and MLB. As of the publish date of this piece, here are today’s offerings from YouTube:
- Free trial
- $10 off your first three months of service ($62.99/mo.)
- Get $50 off NFL Sunday Ticket
How are Fubo and YouTube TV different?
The biggest differences between Fubo and YouTube TV are the price to dollar ratio, Cloud DVR storage, and some popular channels. We’ll break it down below.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Fubo offers more channels than YouTube TV, including 50+ sports channels compared to YouTube’s 16. But Fubo is lacking the TBS, TNT, and CNN channels.
YouTube TV has the said channels that Fubo is missing, and its 100-channel lineup doesn’t contain any fluff. YouTube TV is great for NFL fans who want to watch their team on NFL Sunday Ticket, but it’s missing some key sports channels, like MLB Network and the Tennis Channel.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV plans and pricing
Fubo’s got the sweetest deal when it comes to bang for your buck among most live TV streaming services. Plus, you can score up to 260 channels—the most you’ll find on any streaming platform.
Fubo plans and pricing
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Fubo has most of the channels YouTube TV has in its lineup, but they’re not all in the entry-level plan. For example, you’ll need to upgrade to Fubo’s $90 plan to get Nicktoons or NBA TV. (More on that below when you scroll down a little to the channels table.)
YouTube TV is our favorite streaming service for a reason:
- 100+ quality channels for sports, kids, newsies, and reality fans
- Unlimited DVR storage for you to record anything and everything
- Home to NFL Sunday Ticket
YouTube TV plans and pricing
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV live channels
Fubo’s channel lineups have 180–260 channels and keep in mind that Fubo hosts a variety of niche channels. We like how YouTube TV’s 100-channel lineup is lean and mean, with few unnecessary extras.
In Fubo’s Pro plan, you’ll find 180 channels, 35 dedicated to sports, and the remainder serving up family-friendly entertainment. The Elite plan has 250 channels, adding more lifestyle, news, and 15 sports channels. Its top-tier plan, Premier, comes with SHOWTIME® channels.
If you want to see a breakdown by packages for both services, we have that ready for you on our YouTube TV Review and Fubo Channel Lineup pages.
To simplify the comparison, we highlighted Fubo’s starter package ($79.99/mo.) and YouTube TV’s base plan ($72.99/mo.) in the table below.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV channels
Channel | Fubo Pro | YouTube TV Base Plan |
---|---|---|
A |
||
A&E | — | — |
ABC* | ✔ | ✔ |
ABC Localish | ✔ | ✔ |
ABC News | — | ✔ |
ACC Network (ACCN) | — | ✔ |
AccuWeather | ✔ | — |
ACL Cornhole TV | ✔ | — |
Adult Swim | — | ✔ |
All Reality WE tv | — | ✔ |
AMC | ✔ | ✔ |
Animal Planet | ✔ | ✔ |
AXS TV | ✔ | — |
B |
||
BBC America | — | ✔ |
BBC News | — | ✔ |
BeIN SPORTS | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 2 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 3 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 4 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 5 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 6 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 7 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 8 | ✔ | — |
BeIN Sports en Español | ✔ | — |
BET | ✔ | ✔ |
BET Her | — | ✔ |
The Big Dish | ✔ | — |
Big Ten Network | ✔ | ✔ |
Billiard TV | ✔ | — |
Bleav Sports | ✔ | — |
Bleav Football | ✔ | — |
Bloomberg TV | ✔ | — |
The Bob Ross Channel | ✔ | — |
Bounce | ✔ | ✔ |
Boxing TV | ✔ | — |
Bravo | ✔ | ✔ |
C |
||
C-SPAN | — | — |
Cartoon Network | — | — |
CBS* | ✔ | ✔ |
CBS News | ✔ | — |
CBS Sports Network | ✔ | ✔ |
Charge! | — | ✔ |
Cheddar | — | ✔ |
Cheddar News | — | — |
CLEO TV | ✔ | — |
CMT | ✔ | ✔ |
CNBC | ✔ | ✔ |
CNBC News | — | ✔ |
CNN | — | ✔ |
Comedy Central | ✔ | ✔ |
Comedy Dynamics | ✔ | — |
Comedy.tv | — | ✔ |
COMET | ✔ | ✔ |
Cooking Channel | — | — |
Court TV | ✔ | ✔ |
COZI TV | — | ✔ |
Crackle | ✔ | — |
Curiosity Channel | ✔ | — |
The CW | — | — |
D |
||
Dabl | ✔ | ✔ |
Dark Matter TV | ✔ | — |
The Design Network | ✔ | — |
Destination America | — | — |
Discovery Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Disney Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Disney Junior | ✔ | ✔ |
Disney XD | ✔ | ✔ |
Docurama | — | ✔ |
Dove Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
E |
||
E! | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPN | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPNews | — | ✔ |
ESPNU | — | ✔ |
Estrella TV | ✔ | — |
F |
||
Fail Army | ✔ | — |
FamilyTime | ✔ | — |
FilmRise Forensic Files | ✔ | — |
FilmRise Unsolved Mysteries | ✔ | — |
The First | ✔ | — |
Food Network | ✔ | ✔ |
FOX* | ✔ | ✔ |
Fox Business | — | ✔ |
Fox News | ✔ | ✔ |
FOX SOUL | ✔ | ✔ |
Fox Weather | ✔ | ✔ |
FOX Sports (FS1) | ✔ | ✔ |
FS2 | ✔ | ✔ |
Freeform | ✔ | ✔ |
Fubo Movie Network | ✔ | — |
Fubo Sports | ✔ | — |
Fubo Sports 2 | ✔ | — |
Fuse | — | — |
FX | ✔ | ✔ |
FXM | — | ✔ |
FXX | ✔ | ✔ |
FYI | — | — |
G |
||
Galavisión | ✔ | ✔ |
Game Show Network | — | ✔ |
getTV | ✔ | ✔ |
Glory | ✔ | — |
Golf Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Great American Family | ✔ | — |
Grit | ✔ | — |
Gusto TV | ✔ | — |
H |
||
Hallmark Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Hallmark Drama | ✔ | ✔ |
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | ✔ | ✔ |
HGTV | ✔ | ✔ |
HISTORY | — | — |
HLN | — | ✔ |
HSN | — | ✔ |
I |
||
IFC | — | ✔ |
INFAST | ✔ | — |
Investigation Discovery (ID) | ✔ | ✔ |
ION | ✔ | ✔ |
ION Mystery | ✔ | — |
ION Plus | ✔ | — |
J |
||
JTV (Jewelry Television®) | ✔ | — |
Justice Central TV | — | ✔ |
L |
||
Law & Crime | ✔ | ✔ |
Lifetime | — | — |
Lifetime Movie Network | — | — |
LiveNOW from FOX | ✔ | ✔ |
Local Now | ✔ | ✔ |
LSN (Lacrosse TV) | ✔ | — |
LX News | ✔ | — |
M |
||
Magnolia Network | ✔ | ✔ |
Marquee Sports Network | ✔ | — |
Maximum Effort Channel | ✔ | — |
MLB Network | — | — |
MOTOR TREND | ✔ | ✔ |
MSNBC | ✔ | ✔ |
MTV | ✔ | ✔ |
MTV2 | — | ✔ |
MTV Classic | — | ✔ |
MyNetworkTV | — | ✔ |
N |
||
Nat Geo WILD | — | ✔ |
National Geographic Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
NBA TV | — | ✔ |
NBC* | ✔ | ✔ |
NBC LX | — | ✔ |
NBC News NOW | ✔ | ✔ |
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) | — | ✔ |
NBC Universo | ✔ | ✔ |
NewsMax TV | ✔ | — |
NEWSNATION | ✔ | ✔ |
NFL Network | ✔ | ✔ |
NHL Network | — | — |
Nick Jr. | ✔ | ✔ |
Nickelodeon / Nick at Nite | ✔ | ✔ |
Nicktoons | — | ✔ |
O |
||
Origin Sports Network | ✔ | — |
OWN | ✔ | — |
Oxygen | ✔ | ✔ |
Oxygen True Crime | — | ✔ |
P |
||
Pac-12 Network | ✔ | — |
Paramount Network | ✔ | ✔ |
PBS* | — | ✔ |
PBS Kids | — | ✔ |
PBTV | ✔ | — |
PCMag.com Channel | — | ✔ |
PerfectGame.tv | ✔ | — |
The Pet Collective | ✔ | — |
PFL | ✔ | — |
Pocket.watch | ✔ | — |
Pop | ✔ | ✔ |
Popcornflix | ✔ | — |
Q |
||
QVC | ✔ | ✔ |
R |
||
Real Madrid TV | ✔ | — |
Recipe.tv | — | ✔ |
S |
||
Scripps News | ✔ | ✔ |
SEC Network | — | ✔ |
Smithsonian Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Speedvision | ✔ | — |
Sports News Highlights | ✔ | — |
SportStak | ✔ | — |
Start TV | ✔ | ✔ |
Stories by AMC | — | ✔ |
SundanceTV | — | ✔ |
Swerve Combat | ✔ | — |
Syfy | ✔ | ✔ |
T |
||
T2 | ✔ | ✔ |
Tastemade | ✔ | ✔ |
Tastemade Home | ✔ | — |
Tastemade Travel | ✔ | — |
TBD Movie Network | — | ✔ |
TBS | — | ✔ |
TCM (Turner Classic Movies) | — | ✔ |
TeenNick | — | ✔ |
TeleHit | — | ✔ |
Telemundo* | ✔ | ✔ |
Tennis Channel | — | — |
The CW | — | ✔ |
The Great Courses | — | ✔ |
TLC | ✔ | ✔ |
TNT | — | ✔ |
Toon Goggles | ✔ | — |
Toon Goggles Junior | ✔ | — |
Travel Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
True Crime | ✔ | — |
truTV | — | ✔ |
TUDN | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 1 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 2 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 3 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 4 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 5 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 6 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 7 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 8 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 9 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 10 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 11 | ✔ | — |
TV Land | ✔ | ✔ |
TYT | — | ✔ |
U |
||
Unimás* | ✔ | ✔ |
Universal Kids | ✔ | ✔ |
Univision* | ✔ | ✔ |
USA Network | ✔ | ✔ |
V |
||
VH1 | ✔ | ✔ |
VICE | — | — |
W |
||
The Walking Dead Universe | — | ✔ |
WE tv | — | ✔ |
Weather Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
Women’s Sports Network | ✔ | — |
Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
In addition to Fubo’s 35–50 sports channels, each plan comes with your regional sports networks. Here’s the caveat: Depending on how many RSNs are available where you live, you’ll have to budget for the $12–$15 fee.
If you’d like to add 15 more sports channels to your YouTube TV plan, like NFL RedZone and Tennis Channel, you can tack on the Sports Plus add-on for $12 per month.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV sports channels
Channel | Fubo Pro | YouTube TV Base Plan |
---|---|---|
ACC Network | — | ✔ |
BeIN SPORTS | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 2 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 3 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 4 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 5 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 6 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 7 | ✔ | — |
BeIN SPORTS 8 | ✔ | — |
BeIN Sports en Español | ✔ | — |
Big Ten Network | ✔ | ✔ |
Bleav Sports | ✔ | — |
Bleav Football | ✔ | — |
Boxing TV | ✔ | — |
CBS Sports Network | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPN | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ |
ESPNews | — | ✔ |
ESPNU | — | ✔ |
FOX Sports (FS1) | ✔ | ✔ |
FS2 | ✔ | ✔ |
Fubo Sports | ✔ | — |
Fubo Sports 2 | ✔ | — |
Golf Channel | ✔ | ✔ |
LSN (Lacrosse TV) | ✔ | — |
Marquee Sports Network | ✔ | — |
MLB Network | — | — |
MOTOR TREND | ✔ | ✔ |
NBA TV | — | ✔ |
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) | — | ✔ |
NFL Network | ✔ | ✔ |
NHL Network | — | — |
Origin Sports Network | ✔ | — |
Pac-12 Network | ✔ | — |
PerfectGame.tv | ✔ | — |
PFL | ✔ | — |
Real Madrid TV | ✔ | — |
SEC Network | — | ✔ |
Speedvision | ✔ | — |
Sports News Highlights | ✔ | — |
SportStak | ✔ | — |
Stadium | — | — |
Swerve Combat | ✔ | — |
T2 | ✔ | ✔ |
Tennis Channel | — | — |
TUDN | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 1 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 2 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 3 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 4 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 5 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 6 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 7 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 8 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 9 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 10 | ✔ | — |
TUDNxtra 11 | ✔ | — |
Women’s Sports Network | ✔ | — |
Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
Fubo and YouTube TV stream your local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC channels in most areas. Spanish-speaking families, you can also enjoy Telemundo, Unimás, and Univision.
YouTube TV ups the ante a bit with The CW and PBS channels.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV local channels
Channel* | Fubo | YouTube TV |
---|---|---|
ABC | ✔ | ✔ |
CBS | ✔ | ✔ |
The CW | — | ✔ |
FOX | ✔ | ✔ |
NBC | ✔ | ✔ |
PBS | — | ✔ |
Telemundo | ✔ | ✔ |
Unimás | ✔ | ✔ |
Univision | ✔ | ✔ |
Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
YouTube TV earns a gold star by having all the premium channels at your fingertips. Fubo, you could do better.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV premium channels
Channel | Fubo | YouTube TV |
---|---|---|
HBO Max | — | $14.99/mo. |
CINEMAX | — | $9.99/mo. |
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® | $10.99/mo. | $11.99/mo. |
STARZ® | $9.99/mo. | $8.99/mo. |
MGM+ | $5.99/mo. | $5.99/mo. |
Data effective as of post date.
YouTube TV and Fubo have some of the same add-ons, but YouTube TV has lots more (we’re talking 46 total). Here are a few of the most popular ones.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV add-on packages
Add-on | Fubo | YouTube TV |
---|---|---|
NBA League Pass | $14.99/mo. | $14.99/mo. |
NFL Sunday Ticket + NFL RedZone | — | $389.00/yr. |
MLB.tv | $29.99/mo. | — |
Sports Plus with NFL RedZone | $10.99/mo. | $10.99/mo. |
International Sports Plus | $6.99/mo. | — |
Spanish/ Latino Plus | $19.99/mo. | $14.99/mo. |
Hallmark Movies Now | — | $5.99/mo. |
Shudder | — | $6.99/mo. |
News Plus | $2.99/mo. | — |
Acorn TV | — | $6.99/mo. |
CuriosityStream | — | $4.99/mo. |
Data effective as of post date.
Fubo vs. YouTube TV specs and features
YouTube TV is one of the only live TV streaming services on the market that gives you unlimited DVR storage so you can record everything under the sun. Keep in mind that your recordings will be deleted after nine months.
Fubo’s DVR holds 1,000 hours (or 250 with the Latino package), which is enough to record 150 movies, 35 MLB games, 30 Criminal Minds episodes, 20 Bluey episodes, and still have 480 hours to spare. And your recordings won’t be deleted.
Cloud DVR
Service | Included cloud DVR storage |
---|---|
Fubo | 1,000 hrs. |
YouTube TV | Unlimited |
Fubo lets you and nine other members in your house stream Fubo at once. Before you get excited about sharing your password with someone outside your household, Fubo keeps that from happening. If someone outside of your household is streaming, you can’t stream yourself.
The same goes for YouTube TV—the three streamers have to be under the same roof for everyone to watch the channel that they want.
Multiple streams
Service | Simultaneous streams |
---|---|
Fubo | 10 |
YouTube TV | 3 |
Regarding how many devices you can download the streaming app on, YouTube TV takes the cake.
Besides smart TVs and streaming devices, YouTube TV lets you stream on most gaming consoles and your Peloton to make your cycling session go by faster.
Compatible devices
Device | Fubo | YouTube TV |
---|---|---|
AirTV | — | — |
Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
Android phones, tablets | ✔ | ✔ |
Android TV/Google TV | ✔ | ✔ |
Apple TV HD (4th gen.) | ✔ | ✔ |
Apple TV 4K | ✔ | ✔ |
Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ | ✔ |
Hisense TVs (select models) | ✔ | ✔ |
iPhone, iPad | ✔ | ✔ |
LG TVs (select models) | ✔ | ✔ |
Nintendo Switch | — | — |
NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | — | ✔ |
PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ | ✔ |
Peloton | — | ✔ |
PlayStation 4, 5 | — | ✔ |
Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ | ✔ |
TiVo Stream 4K | — | ✔ |
Vizio SmartCast TVs (select models) | ✔ | ✔ |
Wii | — | — |
Xbox Series S, X | — | ✔ |
Xbox One, S, X | — | ✔ |
Xfinity Flex, X1 | — | ✔ |
Data effective as of post date.
Video and audio quality
Like most live TV streaming services (and cable TV), Fubo streams at 720p resolution, with much of its on-demand content streaming at 1080p. Fubo offers some sporting events in ultra-high definition 4K, including the Premier League, the Super Bowl, and college games.
YouTube TV offers channels in 1080p on select streaming devices. Or you can get some channels in 4K by adding the 4K Plus add-on for $10 per month. Currently, YouTube TV is offering a 30-day free trial and a $5 per month deal for one year on this add-on.
Fubo streams with standard 2.0 stereo audio. YouTube TV recently upgraded its sound to support Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.
Final take: Is Fubo or YouTube TV worth it?
While Fubo offers double the channels and some sporting events in 4K, YouTube TV takes the trophy.
YouTube TV is cheaper, has a channel lineup filled with popular channels, has an unlimited DVR storage, and is home to NFL Sunday Ticket (along with many other add-ons).
Fubo has channels that YouTube TV doesn’t, like MLB Network and NHL Network, but you’ll miss out on TNT, TBS, and CNN. Fubo gives you many channels for its price, but YouTube TV has what most people are looking for.
Why you should trust us
Our experts have spent many hours testing and researching live TV streaming services. We’ve used our expertise to rate Fubo and YouTube TV based on price, channels, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we put them head-to-head to help make your decision between the two services easier. Check out our How We Rank page for more information on our methodology.