YouTube TV Gets Hefty Price Hike

Good and bad news, YouTube TV subscribers.

YouTube is adding nine new channels to its live TV service. But it's also raising prices. Previously priced at $39.99 a month, YouTube TV now costs $49.99 a month. Those billed through Apple, meanwhile, will be charged $54.99 per month.

The price hike went into effect Wednesday for new members. Existing subscribers will see the new rate on their bills after May 13.

As a silver lining, YouTube is adding Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend to the service. The company also plans to add OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network later this year. You can also now subscribe to Epix through YouTube TV for an extra charge.

In a statement, YouTube TV VP of Product Management Christian Oestlien said the company is raising prices "to keep bringing you the best service possible."

YouTube TV earned an "excellent" rating in PCMag's review earlier this year. We praised its "excellent lineup of sports and news channels," "robust and easy-to-use DVR features," and "intuitive user interface." On the down side, we noted it was missing some popular channels, but the additions announced this week should help with that.

YouTube TV isn't the only video streaming service to get more expensive as of late. AT&T recently raised the price of its DirecTV Now service by $10. Hulu in January also gave its live TV plan a $5 price hike, and Netflix that same month raised prices by $1 to $2 across the board.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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