Alas, current YouTube TV subscribers, the salad days are over. The live TV streaming service is raising the price of its base channel package from $73 per month to $83 for existing account holders as of Jan. 13, and new customers will begin to see promotional price offers dry up soon as well.

Given that nearly all of the major live TV streamers now cost more than $80 per month, we thought it would be a good time to break down the pros and cons of each, allowing customers to know exactly what they’re getting into before jumping into a live TV package without the long-term contracts.

What are the pros and cons of six major live TV streaming services?

DIRECTV STREAM

Pros:

• Standard free trial for all new customers
• Excellent channel selection
• Unlimited Cloud DVR

DIRECTV STREAM is a fantastic service for those who really love to watch TV. Its lowest-tier plan includes 31 of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, including fantastic sports, entertainment, and news selections. It also comes with the same five-day free trial for all new subscribers, so you know when your trial ends when signing up. In addition, DIRECTV STREAM offers unlimited Cloud DVR and keeps your recordings for up to nine months, so all your favorite shows are at your fingertips.

Cons:

• Expensive
• Local channels available in fewer markets
• Latency issues

One of the biggest drawbacks of DIRECTV STREAM is that its base plan costs more than every other streamer you’ll see on this list. Channel packages start at $87 per month with this service, and local channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC aren’t available on DIRECTV STREAM in quite a few markets around the country, so make sure to check before you officially sign up. DIRECTV STREAM also suffers from inconvenient levels of latency at times, meaning customers can lag behind the live action when watching sports and other live events by as much as a full minute in some cases.

Fubo

Pros:

• Extensive sports channel lineup
• Good choice of plans
• Awesome features

Fubo is awesome for sports lovers. This streaming service is the only one besides DIRECTV STREAM to offer a large selection of regional sports networks (RSNs), including FanDuel Sports Network channels. It also allows viewers to skip their local RSN if they choose, thanks to the recent launch of the Essential package starting at $80 per month. Fubo also comes with great features, such as its multiview option on select devices, as well as picture-in-picture viewing and 4K options for any who go above the Pro plan.

Cons:

• Expensive to get RSNs
• Constantly tweaking channel plans
• No Warner Bros. Discovery channels

The expansive lineup of RSNs on Fubo comes at a price. Customers who want those channels in their package have to pay $15 per month more to get them, and Fubo is constantly shifting which channel plans it offers, or discontinuing its free trial for a few months at a time, which is confusing to new subscribers. Fubo also hasn’t carried TNT or other Turner Networks for years, and lost all Warner Bros. Discovery channels in 2024 — and there isn’t any sign currently that that will change. This means that customers are deprived of many live NBA games, March Madness contests, and other sporting events, as well as many of their favorite unscripted shows.

Hulu + Live TV

Pros:

• Free Disney Bundle included
• Three-day free trial for new customers
• Good balance of channels

The biggest plus with Hulu + Live TV is that any customer who signs up at $83 per month or more get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ thrown into their subscription at no extra cost. That’s a great value, and all new Hulu + Live TV customers get a three-day free trial, which removes the guesswork about when you’ll have to start paying. This streamer also comes with a pretty good mix of popular cable channels, including locals in an extensive number of markets.

Cons:

• No 4K options
• Clunky user interface
• Expensive to go ad-free

Customer reviews have frequently pointed to Hulu + Live TV’s interface as being less intuitive to use than other live TV services. Unlike other live TV services, Hulu + Live TV does not offer a way for viewers with 4K-compatible TVs to watch any live TV in Ultra-High-Definition, either. Finally, if you want to watch on-demand content in the Disney Bundle with no ads, you’ll have to pay an extra $13 per month, and live content on ESPN+ always comes with commercials anyway.

Philo

Pros:

• Inexpensive monthly price
• AMC+ content is free
• 72-hour Rewind feature

Philo is the cheapest of the streamers on this list, with plans starting at just $28 per month. That price includes access to all the on-demand content from AMC+, which offers shows and movies from BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited. Philo also has a 72-hour Rewind feature that lets subscribers watch titles they didn’t DVR for up to three days after airing, unlocking access to a lot of episodes and movies that aren’t available on-demand otherwise.

Cons:

• Limited channel selection
• Few add-on choices
• No parental controls

The maxim “you get what you pay for” certainly applies to Philo. The service doesn’t come with any local channels, sports networks like ESPN, or many other of the most popular cable channels on the market. You can add some extra content via add-ons like MGM+ or STARZ, but even these selections are fairly limited, and there are no substantial discounts for bundling. Philo also doesn’t have parental controls, so there are fewer ways to keep kids from seeing objectionable content while watching live TV.

Sling TV

Pros:

• Good balance of price and content
• Extensive selection of add-ons
• No extra charge for 4K

Sling TV balances a lower monthly price with a still-decent channel lineup. Popular cable networks like CNN, ESPN, FX, TNT, and more are available depending on which package you select, and at $46 per month, you won’t have to pay through the nose to get them. Sling is highly customizable with lots of additional add-on packs if you want more, and while the amount of 4K content offered through Sling is somewhat limited, there’s no extra charge to watch in UHD on the service.

Cons:

• Local channels only available in select areas
• No RSN access
• Limited DVR

The biggest drawback many customers find with Sling TV is that it only carries local broadcast networks in a relatively small handful of cities, and CBS isn’t carried anywhere. Viewers who want to watch their local NBA, NHL, or MLB teams are out of luck with Sling TV, as RSNs aren’t offered in any plan or add-on. Sling also comes with just 50 hours of DVR standard in each plan, and viewers have to pay $5 per month extra to upgrade to unlimited storage.

YouTube TV

Pros:

• Good channel selection
• Primetime Channels store
• Family Sharing feature

YouTube TV is something of a middle-of-the-road streamer. Its base channel package starts at $83 per month but comes with a good mix of popular cable channels, including local broadcast networks in most areas. Its Primetime Channels store allows you to add an extensive list of additional streaming services to your account and keep all the bills organized in one place, and its Family Sharing feature lets viewers create up to five additional profiles using different Google accounts to better organize individual viewing histories and preferences.

Cons:

• Costs an extra $10 to stream in 4K
• Inconsistent free trial
• No free extras

One of the biggest drawbacks surrounding YouTube TV is that unlike DIRECTV STREAM and Sling TV, you have to pay $10 per month extra to unlock its 4K Plus add-on. Considering how little live TV is available in 4K, that’s hardly worth the price. YouTube TV also offers an inconsistent free trial to new subscribers based on what time of month they sign up, which is hard to decipher. Finally, you don’t get any free extras with YouTube TV; no free on-demand streamers, and you can only stream on up to three devices simultaneously.