YouTube Primetime Channels Review 2024: Cost, Channels, and More
YouTube now sells subscriptions to on-demand streaming services and add-ons without a base subscription. It’s convenient, but that’s about it.
YouTube Primetime Channels
Price: $1.99–$15.99/mo.*
Primetime Channels: 45+
Streams: 3
Is YouTube TV Primetime Channels good?
YouTube Primetime Channels lets you subscribe to 45+ on-demand streaming TV services and add-ons within YouTube. (That’s regular YouTube, not YouTube TV, the live TV streaming service.) Convenience is the headline selling point, but we think there’s more value in subscribing to the services directly.
Pros
- Access several streaming services from YouTube
- No base service subscription fee
- NFL Sunday Ticket
- Cancel anytime
Cons
- YouTube app restriction
- No annual subscription options (except with NFL Sunday Ticket)
- Location access required for some sports content
YouTube Primetime Channels
YouTube has 45+ Primetime Channels, including major streaming services (Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ), niche streaming services (Shudder, Hi-YAH!), and popular sports add-ons like NFL Sunday Ticket and NBA League Pass.
Each Primetime Channel costs the same as subscribing directly or (in most cases) through a live TV streaming service or traditional TV provider. Unfortunately, month-to-month subs are the only option through YouTube Primetime Channels—you can’t get discounted annual plans or bundles.
Check out the menu, then we’ll talk more.
YouTube Primetime Channels pricing
| Plan | Price | Free trial | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACORNtv | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Movies and shows from the UK |
| ALLBLK | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Black cinema and television |
| AMC+ | $8.99/mo. | 7 days | On-demand content from AMC, Sundance Now, Shudder, and IFC Films Unlimited |
| ATRESplayer Internacional | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Original movies and shows en Español |
| Canal RCN | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Includes Nuestra Tele, RCN Novelas, and NTN24 networks |
| Comedy Dynamics | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Stand-up comedy |
| CONtv | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Geeky movies, shows, and convention panels |
| Curiosity Stream | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Educational documentaries |
| Dekkoo | $9.99/mo. | 7 days | Gay TV series and movies |
| Docurama Films | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Documentaries |
| Dove Channel | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Christian and family programming |
| Fandor | $3.99/mo. | 7 days | Independent/arthouse/genre movies and shows |
| Gaia | $11.99/mo. | 7 days | Consciousness-expanding films, shows, and classes |
| The Great Courses | $7.99/mo. | 7 days | Classes in history, science, math, literature, and more |
| Hallmark Movies Now | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Movies and shows from Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Hall of Fame |
| Here TV | $7.99/mo. | 7 days | LGBTQ+ movies and shows |
| Hi-YAH! | $3.99/mo. | 7 days | Martial arts movies and shows |
| Hopster Learning | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Fun educational programming for kids |
| IFC Films Unlimited | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium independent movies |
| Law & Crime Network | $1.99/mo. | 7 days | Live trials, legal analysis, legal stories |
| MGM+ | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium movies and shows |
| MHz Choice | $7.99/mo. | 7 days | International movies and shows |
| MagellanTV | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Documentaries on history, science, space, nature, and true crime |
| Magnolia Selects | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Movies and shows from Magnolia Pictures |
| Max | $15.99/mo. | – | Premium movies and shows |
| MovieSphere | $4.99/mo. | 7 days | Classic movies |
| MyOutdoorTV | $9.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium hunting, fishing, and shooting shows |
| NBA League Pass | $14.99/mo. | 7 days | Live regular-season NBA games plus real-time scores, stats, and highlights |
| NFL Sunday Ticket | $349.00†–$449.00/yr. | – | Every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game |
| OutsideWatch | $1.99/mo. | 7 days | Adventure sports movies and shows |
| Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® | $12.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium series, movies, boxing, and MMA |
| PokerGO | $14.99/mo. | 7 days | Poker tournament coverage and poker TV shows |
| Qello Concerts | $7.99/mo. | 7 days | Live concerts, concert films, and documentaries |
| Screambox | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Horror movies and shows |
| ScreenPix TV | $2.99/mo. | 7 days | Classic movies |
| Shudder | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium horror movies and shows |
| STARZ® | $9.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium movies and shows |
| Stingray DJAZZ | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Jazz music-themed movies and shows |
| Stingray Classica | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Classical music-themed movies and shows |
| Sundance Now | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Premium movies and shows |
| Tastemade | $2.99/mo. | 7 days | Food, design, home, and travel shows and documentaries |
| Topic | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Crime, mystery, and thriller movies and shows |
| UP Faith & Family | $5.99/mo. | 7 days | Christian family entertainment |
| ViX Premium | $6.99/mo. | 7 days | Original TV series, exclusive movies, premium live soccer, news, and more en Español |
| VSiN | $3.99/mo. | 7 days | Sports betting network |
| WNBA League Pass | $7.99/mo. or $24.99/yr. (saves 25%) | – | All live, out-of-market games |
Data as of post date and subject to change.
† When bundled with YouTube TV ($72.99/mo.).
That’s a solid lineup covering a broad range of tastes and demographics. In fact, YouTube Primetime Channels has every on-demand add-on available through YouTube TV—with a few notable omissions (see box).
How do I get YouTube Primetime Channels?
If you already know which YouTube Primetime Channel you want, visit YouTube.com on your browser—or open the YouTube app on your device—and search for the channel. You can then sign up for a 7-day free trial or subscribe.
If you want to browse YouTube Primetime Channels on a computer:
- Open your web browser and go to YouTube.com
- Click on “Movies & TV” in the left-hand menu.
- Browse the “Primetime Channels” carousel menu.
- Find a Primetime Channel to see subscription options.
- Choose “Try it free” to start a 7-day free trial, or click “Subscribe.”
- Enter your payment information if necessary.
Pro tip: Almost every YouTube Primetime Channel has a 7-day free trial. The exceptions are NFL Sunday Ticket and WNBA League Pass (but not NBA League Pass—go figure).
Keep in mind that you can’t sign up for free trials through your smartphone YouTube app—it won’t give you the option.
To browse YouTube Primetime Channels on an Android device, iOS device, or compatible smart TV:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Click “Explore.”
- Click “Movies & TV.”
- Browse the “Primetime Channels” carousel menu.
- Select a Primetime Channel to see subscription options.
- Click “Next” or “Subscribe.”
- Enter your payment information if necessary.
Is YouTube Primetime Channels worth it?
YouTube Primetime Channels offer the convenience of consolidating several streaming TV services and add-on channels in a single app, conserving storage memory on your devices. That said, we still think streaming services’ proprietary apps offer the best viewing experience—not to mention access to discounted ad-supported and annual plans.
YouTube Primetime Channels FAQ
Is YouTube Primetime Channels free?
No—while YouTube is free, you have to pay for each Primetime Channel ($1.99–$15.99 monthly); prices are higher for sports add-ons like NFL Sunday Ticket.
How much is YouTube Primetime Channels?
Most YouTube Primetime Channels cost $1.99–$15.99 per month, but some sports add-ons, like NFL Sunday Ticket, have higher pricing.
Can I get NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube Primetime Channels?
Yes, NFL Sunday Ticket is available as a YouTube Primetime Channel for $449.00 a year.
Does YouTube Primetime Channels have HBO Max?
Yes, YouTube Primetime Channels now offers the ad-free version of Max (formerly HBO Max) for $15.99 monthly.
What’s the difference between YouTube Primetime Channels and Amazon Prime Channels?
With YouTube Primetime Channels and Amazon Prime Channels, you can subscribe to and watch on-demand streaming TV services and add-ons through the YouTube and Prime Video apps. The big difference is that you don’t need a Prime or Prime Video membership to access YouTube Primetime Channels.
Do YouTube Primetime Channels have ads?
Most YouTube Primetime Channels don’t have ads. That said, YouTube lets content providers decide whether to have ads, so some Primetime Channels might have them.
Can I get cheaper, ad-supported plans with YouTube Primetime Channels?
YouTube Primetime Channels has only one ad-free plan for each channel (except NFL Sunday Ticket and WNBA League Pass). For discounted ad-supported or annual options, you’ll need to subscribe to the channel directly instead of through YouTube.
Does YouTube TV have YouTube Primetime Channels?
On YouTube TV ($72.99 a month), YouTube Primetime Channels are called add-ons. YouTube TV add-ons cost the same as Primetime Channels, the selection is slightly larger, and you use the YouTube TV app instead of regular YouTube.
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube Primetime Channels?
YouTube Premium doesn’t include YouTube Primetime Channels. Also, YouTube Premium features, like ad-free viewing, don’t apply to Primetime Channels.
Methodology
The TV experts at CableTV.com have thousands of hours of experience researching and testing streaming TV services. For this YouTube Primetime Channels guide, we researched pricing, channels, features, and more for YouTube, YouTube TV, and the various Primetime Channels. We then analyzed the data to make accurate, helpful recommendations for our readers.
For more on our process, see our How We Rank page.
