YouTube has confirmed that it will increase the price of its over-the-top TV service.
The YouTube TV live-streaming service offers access to dozens of cable channels in the United States for a fixed monthly cost, alongside unlimited storage space for DVR recording.
The company last increased the price of its service from $40 to $50 in April 2019, and now the service has received another price hike, jumping from $50 to $65 per month.
Existing YouTube TV subscribers can expect to be charged the new price on their next billing cycle from today (July 1), and new subscribers must now pay $65 when signing up for the service.
The firm argues that it has increased the price of the service due to the rising costs of content, and says that the new price reflects the “complete value” of YouTube TV. The new pricing comes as a result of YouTube inking a deal with ViacomCBS, bringing Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon to YouTube TV. Combined, the service now offers users access to 85 channels, and more ViacomCBS titles are expected to follow soon.
Speaking of the price increase, a spokesperson for YouTube said: “We don’t take these decisions lightly, and realize how hard this is for our members.
“That said, this new price reflects the rising cost of content and we also believe it reflects the complete value of YouTube TV, from our breadth of content to the features that are changing how we watch live TV. YouTube TV is the only streaming service that includes a DVR with unlimited storage space, plus 6 accounts per household each with its own unique recommendations, and 3 concurrent streams.
“It’s all included in the base cost of YouTube TV, with no contract and no hidden fees.”
The company offered little respite for unhappy customers.
Rather than giving them a few months to prepare for the price increase, the chances come into effect today, and those who are dissatisfied are encouraged to cancel their membership.
YouTube did, however, tease that they were working on new “flexible models” which could include cheaper packages.
Are you a YouTube TV customer? Are you unhappy about the price hike? Let us know your thoughts on social media and check back soon for more news and rumors soon.