YouTube on Monday introduced cheaper YouTube TV programs that will allow subscribers to better tailor their plans to their interests in areas such as sports, news and entertainment. The company said it will offer more than 10 different plans to choose from, all for less than the $82.99 per month YouTube TV prime plan, which has access to more than 100 networks. The new plans go live this week.
While that main plan won’t go away, the new plans will allow customers to choose what matters most and what they can do without in exchange for cost savings.
The new plans include a Sports plan for $64.99 per month, a Sports + News plan for $71.99 per month, a cheaper Entertainment plan for $54.99 per month, and a News + Entertainment + Family plan for $69.99 per month, which includes children’s content.
Sports plans include all major broadcasters and networks such as FS1, NBC Sports Network, all ESPN networks and ESPN Unlimited. This plan is $18/month cheaper than the main plan.
YouTube TV news channels include CNBC, Fox News, CNN, MS NOW and Bloomberg along with other national news channels. Combined with Sport, the package costs $11 per month less than YouTube TV’s main plan.
The entertainment-only plan is $28 a month cheaper than the main plan and includes the major broadcasters, as well as FX, Hallmark, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network and HGTV. Families with young children can add additional channels such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Cartoon Network and PBS Kids.
The company also offers discounts for new subscribers that could further reduce the price of some plans either in the first months or the first year. Subscribers will continue to have access to unlimited DVR YouTube TV, support for up to six family members on one account, multiview and more.
Additional add-ons such as NFL Sunday Ticket + RedZone, HBO Max and 4K Plus can also be purchased to further customize plans.
The company says all the new plans will launch over the next few weeks.
Now, customized packages aren’t a new idea in streaming — for example, a la carte options were a key part of streaming pioneer Sling TV’s initial offering. This element of personalization was also one of the factors that should have made streaming a better alternative to traditional pay TV, where consumers often ended up paying for channels they didn’t want.
But as streamers have added more content, networks and especially sports programming, the cost of streaming has risen to compete with cable and linear television. Live TV streams like YouTube TV may have offered convenience and some savings over increasingly expensive cable, but it wasn’t exactly available anymore.
The new packages hit the market at a time when consumer confidence is at its lowest level in more than 11 years, amid worries about the job market and higher prices making consumers more cautious about their spending.