There is a new fighter in the ring in the form of YouTube TV, competing with streaming subscriptions like DirecTV Now, a streaming cable subscription that competes with other offerings such as PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. YouTube (which is owned by Google) announced YouTube TV in a blog post in which they outlined their offering in the market. According to YouTube, YouTube TV will allow:
- Live TV streaming from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, regional sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks
- Unlimited Cloud DVR storage
- Works on all devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers. It can also be streamed to TVs via Chromecast
- Each membership comes with six accounts, each with their own personal unlimited DVR
- Price is $35 per month
While the price and unlimited DVR is compelling, the service is only initially offering only 43 channels. Showtime and Fox Soccer Plus are available as add-ons. By contrast Sling TV offers 85 channels for $25 per month, PlayStation Vue offers 47 channels for $30 per month, and DirecTV Now offers over 60 channels for $35 per month….and those are the cheapest plans. To its credit, however, YouTube TV does offer all the major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. The other streaming cable services can’t all claim that. YouTube TV subscribers also get access to YouTube Red Originals, which is all the original content created just for YouTube. Additionally, the allowance of up to 6 people to simultaneously stream YouTube TV will help alleviate any family struggles to watch TV at the same time. Google hasn’t stated exactly when YouTube TV is going live just saying it will be “available soon” in the largest markets which would likely include cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, Dallas, and Atlanta. Unfortunately for international customers, this will also likely be a U.S. only subscription. Google will have to obtain streaming rights in other countries and that will likely take time. Google has a sign up page to notify interested customers when the service will be available in their market. In the words of Yoda, “Begun, the streaming cable services wars have” (he did say that right?).
