YouTube TV is raising its price: Save money on live TV streaming with 3 cheaper alternatives

YouTube TV's message to subscribers about the price hike

In an email to subscribers and on the service's Help page, YouTube TV gave the following message:

Due to the rising cost of content, we’ve updated our membership pricing to reflect the complete value of YouTube TV. The new price for a Base Plan is $82.99 per month. This change has been implemented since December 12, 2024.

The updated price will continue to include 100+ channels, a DVR with unlimited storage, up to 6 accounts per household, and 3 concurrent streams. No additional fees are required for broadcast, HD, set-top box, or DVR.

If your membership is currently paused, you’ll automatically be charged the new monthly price for YouTube TV when you unpause your membership.

You can check the status of your account and view your billing date by navigating to

Settings > Membership in YouTube TV.

Save money with these three cheaper streaming services

While YouTube TV's price is going up by $10 per month, the increase puts the service on par with some competitors like Hulu + Live TV and the base price is still lower than other competitors like DIRECTV STREAM. Unfortunately, prices have been going up across the board. However, there are some ways to save money on streaming, like trying out a new service or using an antenna for local channels and supplementing with a cheaper service. Here are a few options.

Sling TV: An affordable lineup of cable channels

Sling TV is well known for being an affordable option for a live TV streaming service. Sling is able to keep its prices affordable by offering two small base plans, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, with optional add-ons for subscribers to build a channel lineup that meets their needs. Unfortunately, the price is also low because Sling only offers local channels (ABC, NBC and Fox) in select areas. If you're only looking for cable channels like ESPN, NFL Network, FS1 and USA, Sling TV might be a good option for you.

Philo: The cheapest option for live entertainment channels

Philo is another "skinny bundle" streaming service, like Sling TV. While the channel lineup doesn't offer much for sports fans, it can be a great option for those who want access to entertainment channels to supplement another service or for those who are using an antenna for access to local channels. You'll get HGTV, History Channel, Food Network, TLC and more.

Fubo: Slightly less for more channels

The major live TV streaming services are now all starting at similar price points, with that standing true for a plan from Fubo. This suggestion is more of a PSA that if you're going to be paying over $80 per month for a service, you should be getting exactly what you want. Fubo (and DIRECTV STREAM) offer regional sports networks in some of their plans, which you won't find on YouTube TV. You'll also get more niche sports channels and events. Take advantage of the Fubo free trial to see if another service has channels and features that might make the cost more worth it for you.