YouTube TV Review 2024: Cost, Plans, and More

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YouTube TV plans and pricing

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

YouTube TV, depending on your area, offers 85–100+ live TV streaming channels, including cable favorites, local channels, and sports networks.

It’s a streamlined plan that doesn’t feature filler channels (music channels suck TBH) like cable and satellite TV providers.

YouTube TV also offers a Spanish-language plan that costs $34.99 a month. The standalone plan features over 28 Spanish-language channels—including ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, and Fox Deportes.

What channels can you watch on YouTube TV?

YouTube TV’s mix of live TV streaming entertainment, sports, and news channels doesn’t look much different than a basic cable package—until you notice the lack of filler.

There’s no cable-package bloat like audio-only music or shopping networks (except for QVC), just a tight lineup of popular channels like Comedy Central, Paramount Network, MTV, AMC, Cartoon Network, ESPN, Disney Channel, FS1, FX, Syfy, TNT, USA Network, etc. YouTube TV trims the cable fat nicely.

YouTube TV also features local channels carrying ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Along with DIRECTV STREAM, it’s the only live TV streaming service that carries PBS and PBS Kids.

But watch out, cord-cutters: YouTube TV’s channel lineup is impressive, but it’s missing a few favorites. Networks like Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY, and VICE aren’t on YouTube TV (but you can get them on Philo, another service we like here at CableTV.com).

How to watch live sports on YouTube TV

With YouTube TV, you get plenty of football (including NFL Network), basketball (including NBA TV), soccer, and college b-ball games. Overall, YouTube TV’s live sports experience is as full as most cable providers’ upper-tier packages. But sorry, baseball and hockey fans, you won’t find MLB Network or NHL Network on YouTube TV. But sorry, baseball and hockey fans, you won’t find MLB Network or NHL Network on YouTube TV. (But you can on Fubo.)

Also, YouTube TV recently dropped all FOX regional sports networks, as well as YES and NESN. If RSNs are a must-have, we’d suggest checking out DIRECTV STREAM or Fubo.

How to watch local channels on YouTube TV

YouTube TV features as many local channels per region as Hulu + Live TV and far more than other services like Sling TV or Fubo.

Depending on where you are, you either receive local stations carrying ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, The CW, and Telemundo, or a combination of at least four of them.

The CW is the least available broadcast channel on YouTube TV (and all live TV streaming services), but all’s not lost in Riverdale. Any CW series can be called up on-demand in most cases, and The CW also offers its programming for free through its own streaming app. Both work similarly; it just depends on how much app-jumping you want to do.

What other plans does YouTube TV offer?

YouTube TV’s $72.99/mo. plan can be fortified with over 25 add-on packages from premium networks, like Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+, AMC+, NBA League Pass, and more. Most YouTube TV add-ons come with a seven-day free trial.

What do customers think of YouTube TV?

Long story short, customers rate YouTube TV very highly in terms of overall satisfaction. In our 2024 survey of live TV streaming customers, YouTube TV came in third overall, with niche streaming service Frndly and industry heavyweight Hulu + Live TV just barely beating it out.

YouTube TV specs and features: DVR features and accessibility

For a live TV streaming service, YouTube TV really shines in terms of cloud DVR storage, simultaneous streams, and user interface, which makes it an exciting streaming option for TV fans who watch a lot of shows.

Cloud DVR

YouTube TV gives you unlimited—yes, unlimited—cloud DVR space. But not forever; YouTube dumps your saved recordings after nine months. Still, that’s a generous amount of space, and you can stream your recorded programming from anywhere on your mobile device.

Fast-forwarding through commercials in recorded shows is quick and intuitive, but there’s no skipping ads with some of YouTube TV’s on-demand programming. Even in the brave new world of streaming TV, you still can’t escape Swiffer spots.

Offline downloads are only available with YouTube TV’s 4K Plus add-on, which costs an extra $19.99 a month. It also gives you access to 4K content (if your TV device supports it) and unlimited in-network streams.

Multiple streams

YouTube TV gives you three simultaneous streams across streaming TV devices, computers, tablets, and phones. Conveniently, this counts within the same home network and outside of it, even while traveling throughout the U.S.

Unfortunately, YouTube TV can’t be accessed internationally—you’ll just have to go enjoy the beach or the museum, instead. Sorry.

A useful feature of YouTube TV is the ability to set up individual Family Sharing profiles. In addition to the original profile (which is set up through a Google account), Family Sharing lets five more people establish their own customizable profiles through their own Google accounts. Viewing preferences, DVR, and watch history are unique, and visible only to each account.

Those five accounts will still have to share just three streams, though. Bummer.

Despite the universality of YouTube, YouTube TV isn’t available on some devices—namely, Nintendo. Most other streaming devices are good to go with YouTube TV.

Video and audio quality

YouTube TV live streams in 720p at 60 fps (frames per second), the same HD quality as cable/satellite providers and most of the other streaming TV services you’re accustomed to.

Unlike other services, YouTube TV doesn’t currently stream any content in 4K HD or HDR (high dynamic range) quality (unless you buy the 4k Plus add-on). Don’t worry; the cat videos we talked about earlier still look as cute as ever.

YouTube TV’s content streams with standard 2.0 stereo audio, but Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (the audio quality you get with Blu-ray discs) isn’t yet available with the service.

Channel guide and interface

Here’s a cool YouTube TV customization feature: You can arrange channels however you like. What? Brace yourselves, television traditionalists: YouTube TV, like other live TV streaming services, doesn’t assign numbers to its channels. You can, however, bring order to this anarchy by stacking your preferred channels to the top of the grid for quick access.

YouTube TV also comes with killer search capabilities, thanks to its association with a plucky little startup called Google. You’ve probably heard of it.

YouTube TV FAQ

Why you should trust us

Our experts have logged thousands of hours of hands-on testing with YouTube TV, rating the streaming service on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched up YouTube TV with other live TV streaming services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses.

For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.

Disclaimer

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

† Plus $72.99/mo. recurring for YouTube TV. Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.