YouTube TV may be getting cheaper in 2026, however there is a catch

Within the US, there are a selection of live TV streaming options — similar to DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Hulu+ Stay TV — however YouTube TV stays one of many greatest and hottest. The principle disadvantage for cord-cutters, nonetheless, is value. The bottom plan begins at $83 per thirty days, a steep soar from the $35 month-to-month price it launched with in 2017. To make the service extra inexpensive and entice extra customers, Google could lastly introduce adjustments that customers have been ready years for.

YouTube TV is reportedly making ready to launch new, lower-cost TV packages early subsequent 12 months, in response to Cord Cutter News. These lower-cost packages would goal particular audiences, with one of many predominant choices stated to be a sports-focused package deal that includes channels like ESPN, Fox Sports activities, and NBC Sports activities.

Proper now, YouTube TV affords solely a single all-in-one plan with greater than 100 reside channels. The concept behind these new, lower-cost packages, or “skinny TV bundles” as they’re usually known as, is to take choose channels from the total lineup and provide them in smaller, cheaper packages to assist lower down on the price of reside TV, and provide folks simply the channels they really need to watch.

It is necessary to notice that YouTube TV hasn’t made any official announcement about this, and Twine Cutter Information would not disclose its supply. So whereas it is thrilling that YouTube TV might lastly offer some cheaper TV packages quickly, it is price taking this with a grain of salt proper now.

YouTube TV might be taking a web page from DirecTV’s playbook

DirecTV affords Style Packs, which can be just like what YouTube TV would possibly finally provide

Credit score: Erik Mclean / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

In addition to a probably extra inexpensive sports activities package deal coming to YouTube TV subsequent 12 months, Twine Cutter Information additionally reviews that YouTube would possibly provide different cheap choices, similar to a youngsters package deal with channels like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, in addition to an “entertainment-focused” package deal that features channels with drama collection and films.

Thus far, all these cheaper, smaller packages that YouTube TV might provide subsequent 12 months remind me of DirecTV’s Genre Packs. Whereas DirecTV affords a number of large all-in-one packages with a number of channels, its Style Packs, which it launched earlier this 12 months, are less expensive and provide only a choice of channels geared toward particular audiences.

For instance, DirecTV’s MyEntertainment pack contains over 60 information and leisure channels, similar to A&E, AMC, CNN, HGTV, and FX, for $35 per thirty days. DirecTV additionally affords a MySports Style Pack, which incorporates over 20 sports-focused channels, together with ESPN, NBC, TNT, CBS Sports activities Community, and native ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC stations the place out there, priced at $60 per thirty days.

It feels like YouTube TV could also be taking a web page instantly from DirecTV’s playbook if it launches lower-cost, genre-based packages subsequent 12 months — and truthfully, I am all for it. I do know loads of individuals who have zero curiosity in sports activities and solely need leisure channels, simply as I do know others who solely activate reside TV for sports activities and get all the pieces else from streaming companies like Netflix, and these new lower-cost TV packages would work nice for them.

For my part, extra inexpensive, focused bundles are a wiser route for reside TV — and a significantly better different to the bloated, all-in-one packages that some streamers provide, the place you find yourself paying for content material you will by no means watch.

YouTube TV hasn’t formally introduced these potential bundles, and Twine Cutter Information did not identify its supply, so it is unclear whether or not these cheaper YouTube TV packages would possibly truly come subsequent 12 months. In different information, YouTube TV lately signed a brand new distribution deal with Disney, so not less than all of the Disney-owned channels will stay on the service for the foreseeable future, together with ESPN.