YouTube TV gets a massive price hike, but I'm not canceling
When I first cut the cord and switched my television service to YouTube TV, the price was a very manageable $35 per month. Then the monthly charge went to up $40 and ultimately landed at $50. When it hit the $50 mark I became nervous, as it was approaching cable TV pricing. Sadly, today, the price jumps once again, this time to $65. Uh oh.
At this new price, YouTube TV is definitely more expensive than cable TV would be for me. In fact, if I was to switch back to cable TV, I wouldn't only save money, but I would get more channels too. So I will be switching back to cable TV, right? Surprisingly, no. I will be sticking with YouTube TV.
Why am I staying? Well, it is quite simple -- I didn't cut the cord for purely financial reasons. While money was a big factor, I absolutely despise my cable provider, as it offers horrible customer service and outdated cable boxes that it makes you rent for every TV. With YouTube TV, all of my devices -- phones, tablets, streaming media boxes, etc. -- are effectively televisions. I can watch TV anywhere, and that is priceless.
The reason for the price hike is no mystery -- Google is adding more channels to the service, which causes its own costs to go up. No one expects Google to operate YouTube TV at a loss, after all.
"We don’t take these decisions lightly, and realize how hard this is for our members. That said, this new price reflects the rising cost of content and we also believe it reflects the complete value of YouTube TV, from our breadth of content to the features that are changing how we watch live TV. YouTube TV is the only streaming service that includes a DVR with unlimited storage space, plus 6 accounts per household each with its own unique recommendations, and 3 concurrent streams. It's all included in the base cost of YouTube TV, with no contract and no hidden fees," says Christian Oestlien, Vice President of Product Management, YouTube TV.
Oestlien further says, "While we would love every member to continue to stay with our service, we understand that some of you may choose to pause or cancel your membership. We want to make YouTube TV flexible for you, so members can pause or cancel anytime here. As the streaming industry continues to evolve, we are working to build new flexible models for YouTube TV users, so we can continue to provide a robust and innovative experience for everyone in your household without the commitments of traditional TV."
Basically, the addition of several new ViacomCBS channels (that we told you about here), is causing the price of YouTube TV to go up again. Don't want those channels? Tough luck -- you are paying for them anyway. Hopefully YouTube TV can offer different channel packages at lower prices in the future -- that may be what Oestlien means by "new flexible models."
While I will not be canceling anytime soon, I am not continuing blindly either. If the price goes up again, I will have to reevaluate, but this extra $15 won't break me. But what about you? Will you be canceling YouTube TV due to the price hike? Please tell me in the comments below.
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