Streaming
YouTube TV Price Hikes & Price History (2026)
Updated October 5, 2026 · Researched & fact-checked by Shaheer
YouTube TV costs $82.99/month, up from $35 when it launched in April 2017 — a 137% rise across five increases in under eight years. The latest took it from $72.99 to $82.99, announced December 12, 2024 for new subscribers and applied to existing subscribers from January 13, 2025. Google cited rising content costs. Cheaper genre-based plans ranging roughly $54.99 to $77.99 were introduced during 2026 for subscribers who do not need the full channel lineup.
At a glance
- Current price
- $82.99 (Base Plan)
- Last increase
- December 12, 2024 (+13.7%)
- Total change tracked
- +137.1%
- Tracked increases
- 5
Key takeaways
- YouTube TV is $82.99/month, up from $35 at its April 2017 launch — a 137% increase in under eight years.
- The most recent rise was $72.99 to $82.99, announced December 12, 2024; existing subscribers moved on January 13, 2025.
- The steepest single jump was June 2020, $49.99 to $64.99 — a 30% rise in one step, after ViacomCBS channels were added.
- At $82.99 the base plan costs $995.88 a year, more than Netflix Premium, Disney+ Premium and Hulu ad-free combined.
- Cheaper genre-based plans (roughly $54.99 to $77.99) arrived during 2026 for subscribers who do not need the full lineup.
YouTube TV price increase history
| Date | Plan | Region | Old → New | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 12, 2024 | Base Plan | US | $72.99 → $82.99 | +13.7% | Source |
| April 1, 2023 | Base Plan | US | $64.99 → $72.99 | +12.3% | Source |
| June 1, 2020 | Base Plan | US | $49.99 → $64.99 | +30% | Source |
| May 1, 2019 | Base Plan | US | $40.00 → $49.99 | +25% | Source |
| March 1, 2018 | Base Plan | US | $35.00 → $40.00 | +14.3% | Source |
What YouTube TV costs right now
- Base Plan: $82.99 (US)
YouTube TV price history: $35 to $82.99
YouTube TV launched in April 2017 at $35/month as a deliberately cheap alternative to cable, and has raised its base plan five times since: to $40 in March 2018, $49.99 in May 2019, $64.99 in June 2020, $72.99 in April 2023 and $82.99 from December 2024. That is a 137% increase in under eight years — steeper than any of the on-demand streamers over the same period.
Each rise followed channels being added rather than arriving unexplained. The 2019 round came with Discovery networks, 2020 with the ViacomCBS group, and the 2024 increase was attributed to rising content costs generally. The 30% jump in June 2020 remains the largest single step, and it is the one that moved YouTube TV decisively out of "cheap cable replacement" territory.
The annual figure is the one that tends to land. At $82.99 a month the base plan runs $995.88 a year — more than Netflix Premium ($323.88), Disney+ Premium ($257.88) and Hulu ad-free ($257.88) cost together. Live TV with regional sports is a different category of expense from on-demand streaming, and the gap has widened with every round.
The 2024 increase was unusually well telegraphed: announced December 12 for new subscribers, applied to existing ones on January 13, 2025, with trial and promotional rates protected until they ran out. That staggering means subscribers hit the new price on different dates, so an old bill may not match the headline figure. If the full lineup is more than you need, the genre-based plans introduced during 2026 at roughly $54.99 to $77.99 are the first real downgrade path the service has offered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube TV cost now?
The YouTube TV base plan is $82.99/month in the US, which works out to $995.88 a year. Cheaper genre-based plans introduced during 2026 run roughly $54.99 to $77.99 for a narrower channel lineup.
What is the full YouTube TV price history?
It launched in April 2017 at $35/month, then rose to $40 (March 2018), $49.99 (May 2019), $64.99 (June 2020), $72.99 (April 2023) and $82.99 (announced December 12, 2024). That is five increases and a 137% rise in under eight years.
When did YouTube TV go up to $82.99?
Google announced the $10 increase on December 12, 2024. New subscribers paid $82.99 straight away, while existing subscribers moved to the new rate on January 13, 2025. Anyone on a trial or promotional price kept it until that period ended.
Why does YouTube TV keep raising prices?
Most rounds followed channel additions — Discovery networks before the 2019 rise, the ViacomCBS group before the 30% jump in June 2020 — and Google cited rising content costs for the 2024 increase. Live TV carries carriage fees that on-demand services do not.
Is YouTube TV more expensive than other streaming services?
Considerably. At $995.88 a year it costs more than Netflix Premium, Disney+ Premium and Hulu ad-free combined. It is a live-TV package with regional sports rather than an on-demand catalogue, so it competes with cable pricing rather than streaming pricing.