What Is Youtube Tv The Basics You Need To Know

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 6:12 AM

what is youtube tv the basics you need to know

YouTube TV is a TV streaming service that includes live TV from 100+ broadcast, cable, and regional sports networks. When you sign up for a YouTube TV subscription, you get: You can also sign up for Spanish language programming offered through: Watch on all your devices, like your phone, tablet, computer, or TV. With a YouTube TV Base Plan, you can watch on up to three devices at the same time. Watching on a computer and a mobile device at the same time counts as two of the three available devices.

YouTube TV also includes YouTube Originals and trending YouTube videos. Posted on March 31, 2025 by TV Answer Man in Television, youtube // 2 Comments By Phillip Swann The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X. This is the latest in a series of articles that will explain in simple words what a new TV product or industry term means and/or how it works. Today, we examine YouTube TV. Have Questions?

Ask The TV Answer Man! Have a question about a favorite show, streaming service, or new TV technology? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message. Who Is The TV Answer Man? The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for more than three decades.

He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch TV. See the bio for Phillip Swann here. Streamers like Netflix continue to fight for dominance of original content in TV and film against the seemingly endless number of VOD platforms available today. With new apps and services landing regularly, it can be hard to tell what platforms to pay attention to. But heed our words, friends: trust in YouTube TV. Similar to Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV offers access to live local and cable only channels, as well as on-demand YouTube movies and shows.

There are several other perks to enjoy too, and we’ve broken everything down in this complete guide to YouTube TV. YouTube TV is also one of the only options if you want to stream any sort of live TV in 4K resolution. More on that in a minute, along with other YouTube TV tips and tricks. And yes, YouTube TV now is home to NFL Sunday Ticket. That’s a big deal. In a nutshell, YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service that’s available in the United States.

It’s a replacement for a cable or satellite service that’s streamed through the Internet, available on phones, tablets, TV, and web browsers, and it lets you watch TV pretty much as you always have,... YouTube TV was restricted to a relatively small number of locations in the United States when it launched in 2017. That changed in 2019 when a large expansion introduced support for all 210 markets. It has also greatly expanded its collection of channels over the years. YouTube TV now boasts more than 110 channels, including the four major national broadcasters — ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. (Like all streaming services, what’s actually available where you live may vary a tad, so you’ll need to check your ZIP code.)

Our guide shows you all the YouTube TV channels, and everything else you need to know about this streaming service When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. YouTube TV is for anyone who wants to cut the cord and get rid of cable TV. It's a popular option among the best cable TV alternatives thanks to an extensive line-up, unlimited DVR cap and intuitive design. YouTube TV lets you get out of that expensive cable contract but still watch live sports, news and entertainment.

It's also super reliable, with little downtime, Those looking to replace cable should be happy with the default set of YouTube TV channels. As our YouTube TV review notes, the extensive line-up of channels is one of the service's strongest features. That set of channels is a major reason why it performed well in our YouTube TV vs. Sling TV face-off. And when comparing YouTube TV vs.

Hulu + Live TV, it (again) fares very well. It's just going to run you a bit more money than it used to, as it's recently gone up in price once more. So what channels can you watch, what devices support YouTube TV and how does it stack up to competing cable-replacement services? We've put together the master guide on YouTube TV, how its programming and price stack up, and what makes it special. YouTube TV gives you cable TV without any cables When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Here’s how it works. YouTube TV gives you a third options between the choice of cable or satellite TV, and all you need to get started is Wi-Fi. While the service isn't exactly cheap, starting at $82.99 per month (as per the most recent price hike for new subscribers that will also go into effect for existing ones starting January 13, 2025),... With that in mind, we've gathered everything you need to know about YouTube TV to make an informed decision. YouTube TV: Starting at $59.99/month for three months, then $82.99/month YouTube TV provides access to your favorite shows across over 100 live channels, without the cable drama.

You can also record new episodes to view later and add premium channels to your monthly plan. New members can join for $59.99 per month for the first three months, after which your subscription will jump up to $82.99 per month. New to YouTube TV? This YouTube TV tutorial for beginners explains how to use YouTube TV in 2026—setup guide, live TV, Cloud DVR, pricing, and cutting the cord without contracts or tech stress. If you’re coming from traditional cable, this is usually the moment where things feel heavier than they need to. Boxes.

Contracts. Fees you never agreed to. A remote with more buttons than sense.Take a breath—YouTube TV is the opposite of all that. At its core, YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service. Instead of channels coming through a cable line, they arrive over the internet—straight to an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, or streaming devices like Roku and Firestick. No installer.

No waiting window. No long-term contract hanging over your weekend. Think of it this way: cable locks you into their system. YouTube TV gives the control back to you. You still get what matters—live TV, local channels, news, sports, and entertainment—but without the baggage. It runs on a monthly subscription, so you can pause or cancel whenever life changes.

No “hidden fees” quietly inflating your bill. No guessing what you’re paying for. As flexibility has become the focus of the live TV streaming industry lately, packages built around specific programming genres or shorter lengths of time have become increasingly popular. But that is not the case YouTube TV. The largest service of its kind on the market still replicates the cable bundle by offering a healthy selection of entertainment channels alongside news and sports, giving viewers a little bit of everything. Considering industry trends, customers might well wonder whether YouTube TV is jumping on the train of slimmed-down channel packages, or if it’s staying true to its roots.

The Streamable is here to give you the skinny on which channel packages YouTube TV comes with, how much you can expect to pay, and more. New customers can save $20 per month for 5 months. Unlike many live TV streamers, YouTube TV has just one plan: its base channel package that costs $83 per month. This bundle is well-balanced, with channels like Bravo, CNN, Discovery, ESPN, Hallmark Channel, MTV, Paramount Network, and many more available. No, you cannot sign up for YouTube TV by the year and prepay for your annual subscription. All YouTube TV subscribers are on month-to-month plans, but the good news there is that the streamer will never try to lock you into a long-term contract.

By Christian Oestlien, Vice President, Head of Subscriptions, YouTube Early next year, we’ll launch YouTube TV Plans, bringing more choice and flexibility to our subscribers with over 10 genre-specific packages. One package that we know our customers will be excited for is the YouTube TV Sports Plan. The Sports Plan will offer fans access to all the major broadcasters as well as sports networks like FS1, NBC Sports Network, all of the ESPN networks, as well as ESPN Unlimited. Subscribers can include add-ons like NFL Sunday Ticket and RedZone, and keep all fan-favorite features, including unlimited DVR, multiview, key plays, and fantasy view. TV should be easy, giving viewers greater control over what they want to watch.

Our goal is to let you tailor your subscription with more options. Whether you stick with our main YouTube TV plan with 100+ channels, focus on sports, combine sports and news, or select a plan centered on family and entertainment content, subscribers will be able to... We have a lot in store for YouTube TV members next year and can’t wait to share more soon!

What Is Youtube Tv The Basics You Need To Know

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