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YouTube TV

YouTube TV Hits 5 Million Subscribers; Becomes Largest Live TV Streaming Service

YouTube TV Hits 5 Million Subscribers; Becomes Largest Live TV Streaming Service

Matt Tamanini
Matt Tamanini is the News Editor at The Streamable, where he oversees daily news coverage and editorial strategy, with a particular focus on breaking stories, streaming comparisons, and major industry events. A well-rounded journalist with a diverse background, Matt joined The Streamable in 2022 after holding key editorial roles at several high-profile outlets. He has an extensive career in sports and entertainment journalism, having served as a senior editor for BroadwayWorld, the world’s largest theater website, and as managing editor for Land-Grant Holy Land, which covers Ohio State sports.
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Matt Tamanini
•
With a background in sports and entertainment reporting, he’s covered everything from Broadway to college football. He cut the cord in 2014 and has a sharp eye for streaming trends and a soft spot for Hallmark movies.
With a background in sports and entertainment reporting, he’s covered everything from Broadway to college football. He cut the cord in 2014 and has a sharp eye for streaming trends and a soft spot for Hallmark movies.

While more and more people are moving away from traditional pay-TV subscriptions, that doesn’t mean that they are comfortable losing access the linear content that they have enjoyed for years. So, a cord-cutting middle ground has become popular in recent years which frees customers from the expensive, long-term subscriptions of cable and satellite while also giving them the live TV that they know and love.

Showing the growing popularity of live TV streaming services, on Tuesday, YouTube TV announced that it had become the first such service to cross 5 million subscribers, as of June 2022, after launching on Feb. 28, 2017.

In a blog on the company’s website, YouTube’s vice president of product management for YouTube TV and connected TV Christian Oestlien said, “When we launched YouTube TV five years ago, we wanted to make watching TV even more enjoyable — featuring a modern product experience without all the commitments, equipment fees and hassle. Today, we’re humbled that five million of you are currently on this journey with us.”

Technically, YouTube is saying that the service has “5 million subscribers and trialers,” since some portion of the people on the introductory two-week free trial undoubtedly won’t convert to paid customers, but the streamer’s paid subscriber number will still likely be significantly more than that of its closest competitor.

The last time that Disney shared a quarterly earnings report, the company announced that Hulu Live TV had dropped 200,000 subscribers to bring its total to 4.1 million. To be fair, live streaming services often see dips in the first quarter of the year as football fans unsubscribe, but that is a feature of these services, not a bug.

Allowing customers to come and go as they please is part of the value proposition offered by live streamers that stands in contrast to their pay-TV counterparts.

For comparison, Sling TV most recently reported having 2.25 million subscribers, sports-focused live streamer fuboTV reportedly has 1.05M subscribers, and the last reported numbers for Philo suggest that it has 800,000 subscribers.

Currently, YouTube TV offers over 100 channels, an unlimited cloud-based DVR, a wide array of Spanish-language content, and much more.

Free Trial
tv.youtube.com

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.

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Sports are a major focus for YouTube TV, with access to national and regional coverage, league networks, and marquee events. The service also serves as the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, available as an add-on, giving fans access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. YouTube TV also offers a smaller sports plan, allowing subscribers access to 30+ sports-oriented channels, including local networks in select markets.

YouTube TV includes unlimited cloud DVR storage at no extra cost, allowing subscribers to record as many shows as they want and keep recordings for up to nine months. The service is available across a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, streaming players, mobile devices, and web browsers. New subscribers can typically start with a free trial, though the trial length may vary by promotion.

With its broad channel lineup, strong sports offerings, unlimited DVR, and wide device support, YouTube TV remains one of the most comprehensive live TV streaming services for viewers who want a traditional TV experience without a cable contract.

Free Trial
$82.99+ / month
tv.youtube.com

New customers can save $15 per month for 5 months.

Matt Tamanini
Matt Tamanini is the News Editor at The Streamable, where he oversees daily news coverage and editorial strategy, with a particular focus on breaking stories, streaming comparisons, and major industry events. A well-rounded journalist with a diverse background, Matt joined The Streamable in 2022 after holding key editorial roles at several high-profile outlets. He has an extensive career in sports and entertainment journalism, having served as a senior editor for BroadwayWorld, the world’s largest theater website, and as managing editor for Land-Grant Holy Land, which covers Ohio State sports.
Read full bio ›
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