YouTube TV Review 2023: Plans, Cost, and More
According to CableTV.com's experts, YouTube TV is the best overall live TV streaming service out there. Read our review for all the reasons why.
YouTube TV
Price: $72.99/mo.
Channels: 100+
Cloud DVR storage: Unlimited
Free trial: Varies
Is YouTube TV good?
We think YouTube TV is an excellent live TV streaming service—in fact, we’ve named it CableTV.com’s Best Overall service for 2023. For $72.99/mo., you get 100+ cable and local channels plus an unlimited cloud DVR.
YouTube TV’s biggest advantage over other streaming TV services is familiarity. It’s close to the same YouTube interface you’ve been using for years but with a few new twists and more popular channels than other live TV streaming services. (It’s still the undisputed leader in cat videos, of course.)
YouTube TV has one of the fattest channel lineups in live TV streaming, as well as the easiest user interface. It’s not the cheapest live TV streaming service, but we think YouTube TV is worth it for its features and performance.
Pros
- 100+ channels
- Unlimited cloud DVR storage
Cons
- Missing some regional sports networks
- No A&E, Lifetime, or VICE
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Hulu + Live TV is one of our favorite live TV streaming services at CableTV.com—we’ve named it our Best Value streamer because of its large catalog of Hulu on-demand content and originals. But, it now costs more than YouTube TV, and you get fewer live channels and only two simultaneous streams.
In the YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV streaming faceoff, we still think YTTV has the edge.
YouTube TV vs. the rest of competition
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
We gave YouTube TV our Editor’s Choice award the past two years because of its competitive channel count, reasonable price, and killer cloud DVR (no other streaming service compares in terms of DVR storage except for Philo, which offers a niche channel lineup).
Like we said, we still really like Hulu + Live TV for its on-demand content, decent channel count, and reasonable price. Check out our Best Live TV Streaming Services page to read up more on the pros and cons of each service.
YouTube TV deals and promotions
You can get YouTube TV free for a month when you sign up for a Verizon Mobile or 5G Home Internet plan.
Frontier customers can save $10 a month for the first 12 months of their subscription when they bundle Frontier internet with YouTube TV. That’s a $120 savings over the course of the first year. Find out more about Frontier internet.
YouTube TV subscribers can get $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket when signing up through June 6, 2023.*
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 to over 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 $24.99 a month for the first six months, after which the monthly price goes up to $34.99.
This standalone plan doesn’t require a subscription to regular YouTube TV and features over 28 Spanish-language channels, including ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, and Fox Deportes.
YouTube TV home page on a smart TV. Image credit: CableTV.com
YouTube TV channels
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).
YouTube TV channel lineup
| Channel | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| A&E | — |
| ABC* | ✔ |
| AAC Network | ✔ |
| AMC | ✔ |
| Animal Planet | ✔ |
| BBC America | ✔ |
| BBC World News | ✔ |
| BET | ✔ |
| BET Her | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | ✔ |
| Bloomberg TV | — |
| Boomerang | — |
| Bravo | ✔ |
| C-SPAN | — |
| Cartoon Network / Adult Swim | ✔ |
| CBS* | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✔ |
| Cheddar News | ✔ |
| CMT | ✔ |
| CNBC | ✔ |
| CNN | ✔ |
| Comedy Central | ✔ |
| COMET | ✔ |
| Cooking Channel | — |
| COZI TV | ✔ |
| The CW* | ✔ |
| Destination America | — |
| Discovery Channel | ✔ |
| Disney Chanel | ✔ |
| Disney Junior | ✔ |
| Disney XD | ✔ |
| DIY Network | — |
| E! | ✔ |
| ESPN | ✔ |
| ESPN2 | ✔ |
| ESPNews | ✔ |
| ESPNU | ✔ |
| Food Network | ✔ |
| FOX* | ✔ |
| Fox Business Network | ✔ |
| Fox News | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ |
| FS2 | ✔ |
| Freeform | ✔ |
| Fuse | — |
| Fusion | — |
| FX | ✔ |
| FXM | ✔ |
| FXX | ✔ |
| FYI | — |
| Galavisión | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | ✔ |
| Hallmark Channel | ✔ |
| Hallmark Drama | ✔ |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | ✔ |
| HGTV | ✔ |
| HISTORY | — |
| HLN | ✔ |
| IFC | ✔ |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | ✔ |
| ION | — |
| Lifetime | — |
| Lifetime Movie Network | — |
| MGM+™ | — |
| MLB Network | ✔ |
| MOTOR TREND | ✔ |
| MSNBC | ✔ |
| MTV | ✔ |
| MTV2 | ✔ |
| MTV Classic | ✔ |
| Nat Geo WILD | ✔ |
| National Geographic | ✔ |
| NBA TV | ✔ |
| NBC* | ✔ |
| NBC Sports Network | ✔ |
| NBC Universo | ✔ |
| NFL Network | ✔ |
| NFL RedZone | — |
| Nick Jr. | ✔ |
| Nickelodeon / Nick at Nite | ✔ |
| Nicktoons | ✔ |
| Olympic Channel | ✔ |
| OWN | ✔ |
| Oxygen True Crime | ✔ |
| Pac-12 Network | — |
| Paramount Network | ✔ |
| PBS* | ✔ |
| Pop | ✔ |
| Science | — |
| SEC Network | ✔ |
| Smithsonian Channel | ✔ |
| Sportsman Channel | — |
| SundanceTV | ✔ |
| Syfy | ✔ |
| TBS | ✔ |
| TCM | ✔ |
| TeenNick | ✔ |
| Telemundo* | ✔ |
| Tennis Channel | — |
| TLC | ✔ |
| TNT | ✔ |
| Travel Channel | ✔ |
| truTV | ✔ |
| TV Land | ✔ |
| Universal Kids | ✔ |
| Univision | — |
| USA Network | ✔ |
| VH1 | ✔ |
| VICE | — |
| WE tv | ✔ |
| Weather Channel | ✔ |
*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
Sports channels on YouTube TV
With YouTube TV, you get plenty of football (including NFL Network), basketball (including NBA TV), baseball (including MLB Network), 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 hockey fans, no NHL Network.
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 fuboTV.
YouTube TV sports channel lineup
| Channel | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| ACC Network | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✔ |
| ESPN | ✔ |
| ESPN2 | ✔ |
| ESPNews | ✔ |
| ESPNU | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ |
| FS2 | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | ✔ |
| MLB Network | ✔ |
| MLB Bases Loaded | — |
| MOTOR TREND | ✔ |
| NBA TV | ✔ |
| NBC Sports Network | ✔ |
| NFL Network | ✔ |
| NFL RedZone | — |
| NHL Network | — |
| Olympic Channel | ✔ |
| Outdoor TV | — |
| Pac-12 Network | — |
| SEC Network | ✔ |
| Sportsman Channel | — |
| Stadium | — |
| Tennis Channel | — |
Data effective as of post date.
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 fuboTV.
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.
YouTube TV local channel lineup
| Channel* | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| ABC | ✔ |
| CBS | ✔ |
| The CW | ✔ |
| FOX | ✔ |
| NBC | ✔ |
| PBS | ✔ |
| Telemundo | ✔ |
*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
| Channel add-ons | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| NFL Sunday Ticket | $349.00–$389.00/season* |
| HBO Max | $15.99/mo. |
| HBO | $14.99/mo. |
| CINEMAX | $9.99/mo. |
| SHOWTIME | $11.00/mo. |
| STARZ | $9.00/mo. |
| MGM+ | $6.00/mo. |
| STARZ + MGM+ | $11.99/mo. |
| Entertainment Plus (HBO Max, SHOWTIME, and STARZ) | $29.99/mo. |
| Sports Plus (FOX Soccer Plus, beIN Sports, NFL RedZone, and more) | $10.99/mo. |
| NBA League Pass | $28.99/mo. or $199.00/yr. |
| Hallmark Movies Now | $5.99/mo. |
| AMC+ | $6.99/mo. |
| Shudder | $6.00/mo. |
| IFC Films Unlimited | $5.99/mo. |
| Sundance Now | $7.00/mo. |
| WE tv+ | $5.99/mo. |
| Acorn TV | $6.00/mo. |
| ALLBLK | $5.00/mo. |
| ScreenPix | $2.99/mo. |
| CuriosityStream | $3.00/mo. |
| Docurama | $4.99/mo. |
| CONtv | $4.99/mo. |
| DOVE | $4.99/mo. |
| Law & Crime | $1.99/mo. |
| UP Faith & Family | $5.99/mo. |
| Fandor | $3.99/mo. |
| Screambox | $4.99/mo. |
| Comedy Dynamics | $4.99/mo. |
| Pantaya | $5.99/mo. |
| Fox Nation | $5.99/mo. |
Data effective as of post date.
YouTube TV specs and features
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
| Service | Cloud DVR | Offline downloads |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | Unlimited (for 9 mos.) | Yes (w/ 4K Plus add-on, $19.99/mo.) |
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
| Service | Simultaneous streams | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | 3 | Unlimited (4K Plus, $19.99/mo.) |
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 US.
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.
Compatible devices
| Device | YouTube TV |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ |
| Echo Show | ✔ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| Nintendo Switch | — |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ✔ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ |
| PlayStation 3, 4, 5 | ✔ |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| TiVo Stream | ✔ |
| Wii | — |
| Xbox One | ✔ |
Data effective as of post date.
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.
YouTube TV home page on a desktop computer. Image credit: CableTV.com
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 channel guide on a desktop computer. Image credit: CableTV.com
Is YouTube TV worth it?
With only a few shortcomings, we say YouTube TV is the service to beat in the live TV streaming wars. It doesn’t carry a handful of popular live entertainment or sports channels, but the unlimited DVR, customizable features, and smooth performance does right by first-time cord-cutters.
Plus, you already know how to use it—it may be live TV, but it’s also still YouTube.
YouTube TV FAQ
What is the downside of YouTube TV?
YouTube TV’s biggest downside is its lack of FOX regional sports networks like YES and SNY, as well as other key channels including Lifetime, HISTORY, and VICE. However, it still has a pretty impressive lineup—see our full YouTube TV channel list for more information.
It’s also a bummer that you can’t fast-forward through YouTube TV ads like you could on a DVR. YouTube, as always, loves its ads.
How much does YouTube TV cost?
YouTube TV costs $72.99/mo.. Considering you get 100+ cable and local channels with no contract and unlimited cloud DVR storage, it’s still a decent deal compared to cable or satellite TV.
How does YouTube TV work?
YouTube TV works by streaming live TV through your web browser, mobile device apps, or streaming devices.
Even though it has a similar interface, it’s different from YouTube because it doesn’t limit your viewing to uploaded videos, and it’s a paid service (100+ live channels for $72.99/mo.).
Does YouTube TV have PBS?
Yes, YouTube TV has PBS and PBS Kids. It’s a big perk since PBS isn’t currently available on any other live TV streaming service besides DIRECTV STREAM. Go ahead and get the Antiques Roadshow on the road to Austin City Limits.
What channels are included with YouTube TV?
YouTube TV has 100+ channels including Comedy Central, Disney Channel, SyFy, and PBS. We like that it cuts down on traditional cable bloat from unnecessary music channels, although we wish it did a little better in the way of regional sports channels. (If you want music, you should probably just get YouTube Music or YouTube Premium.) For a full list of channels, head to our YouTube TV channel list.
How much does NFL Sunday Ticket cost on YouTube TV?
NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV costs $349.00 during the 2023 NFL season. For an additional $40.00, YouTube TV subscribers can get NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone—giving you the most Sunday afternoon NFL coverage.
Methodology
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.
