Andrew Heinzman
Dear reader, I hope you have the 4K add-on.
Three years ago, YouTube TV turned on the money printer and changed its Base Plan price to $65 a month. But the three-year streak ends today—YouTube TV now costs $73 a month before add-ons or upgrades. And, in an odd twist, 4K subscribers are actually getting a price cut.
The 4K Plus add-on now costs $10; that’s half the price that YouTube TV previously charged for 4K access. So, if you’re a 4K Plus member, you’ll now pay a total of $83 per month for YouTube TV (before any additional add-ons, of course). That’s $2 less than you were paying before.
An update for our members. As content costs have risen and we continue to invest in our quality of service, we’ll be adjusting our monthly cost, after 3 years, from $64.99/mo to $72.99/mo, in order to bring you the best possible TV service.
— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) March 16, 2023
YouTube TV says that rising costs are responsible for this price hike. I trust that it’s telling the truth. Sports are the only thing keeping cable TV alive, and as a result, companies like Google pay increasingly high prices to stream sports content. (YouTube TV recently picked up the NFL Sunday Ticket, but to be fair, it also lost the MLB Network.)
We’re not sure why 4K Plus is getting cheaper, though. My best guess is that YouTube TV wants to stand out a bit. Competitors like Hulu with Live TV haven’t got a hold on 4K content, and at a physical level, cable TV cannot deliver 4K content.
Existing YouTube TV subscribers will be charged $73 a month after April 18th. Those with a 4K Plus add-on will see $2 price cut after that date. Note that this pricing is already in effect for new subscribers.
Source: YouTube TV