YouTube TV Is Raising Prices. Here’s What You Need to Know

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Prepare for your costs to climb. 

At this point, many consumers have officially cut the cord with cable. And in many cases, replacing cable with streaming services can result in a lower monthly credit card tab.

But in the past six months, a number of popular streaming services have raised their prices, including Sling TV, FuboTV, and the Hulu Live TV bundle. And now, the cost of YouTube TV is rising, too.

A price hike that’s somewhat overdue

The last time YouTube TV raised its prices was in June 2020. So it makes sense that now, three years later, customers are facing an increase.

That increase, however, is pretty steep. The cost of YouTube TV is rising from $64.99 per month to $72.99. That price change went into effect on March 16, but existing customers won’t see that increase hit until their first bill on or after April 18.

Should you keep paying for YouTube TV?

YouTube TV gives you access to more than 100 channels. A base plan comes with unlimited DVR space and allows you to maintain up to six household accounts and stream on three devices at once.

With that level of variety, you may not need to supplement your subscription with another streaming service. So the money you spend on YouTube TV on a monthly basis might represent the total cost of at-home entertainment for you, not counting the cost of internet service (which, to be fair, doesn’t necessarily count as entertainment).

But the price hike customers are looking at is pretty significant. So if you’re not sure if you should keep YouTube TV or not, you’ll really want to ask yourself these questions:

Am I using it often enough to justify the cost?Can I afford it?

If you only watch a couple of hours of TV each week, whether because you work many hours or have a lot of other hobbies, then it could pay to sign up for a less expensive streaming service instead. And if money is tight, and you’re barely able to cover your essential bills, like your rent or mortgage payment, then it may be time to cancel YouTube TV until your financial situation improves.

A lot of people are spending more money on essential bills these days due to inflation. And that situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. So if you’re barely making ends meet, now’s the time to get rid of some of the extras you might be paying for. (And if you feel that not having access to any streaming content at all is unreasonable, at least consider swapping YouTube TV for a more cost-effective alternative. A standard monthly Netflix subscription is just $15.49).

However, if you get good use out of YouTube TV and you can afford it comfortably, even with the increase, then you shouldn’t necessarily rush to cancel. After all, everyone deserves to sit back and unwind with some good (or bad) TV. And if YouTube TV offers the variety you enjoy, why not keep it around?

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has positions in Netflix. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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