Google-owned cable television replacement YouTube TV has offered a sneak peek at some of its newer, lower-priced TV plans that are rolling out to subscribers in the coming weeks.
Starting this month, YouTube TV will begin selling a cheaper, sports-only offering priced at $65 per month that will include major networks like Fox Sports 1, NBC Sports Network and ESPN Unlimited, plus access to local stations owned by or affiliated with ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.
The plan, called Sports Plus, is $18 lower than the current price of YouTube TV’s one-size-fits-all plan, which includes more than 100 broadcast and cable networks at a price of $83 per month. YouTube said that plan will continue to be offered to subscribers for the foreseeable future; earlier The Desk reported YouTube is preparing a price adjustment that will see the cost of the package increase within the next few weeks.
The precise availability of channels in the sports-only plan wasn’t revealed on Monday, so it isn’t clear if the sports-only tier will include access to regional sports channels or independent broadcast stations that offer National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and other premium events in specific areas.
Other packages that will be offered through YouTube TV include a “Sports & News Plan” that offers the same channels as the sports-only tier, plus access to national cable news channels like Fox News, Bloomberg, MS NOW, C-SPAN and Fox Business for $72 per month, or $11 cheaper than the current all-in-one plan.
Another package, called the Entertainment Plan, will cost $55 per month and offer broadcast networks and cable channels like FX, Paramount Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, but no sports channels. A tier that also includes family-friendly channels like Disney Channel and Nickelodeon along with news channels like CNN and Fox News will cost $70 per month.
Other programming packages will be available as add-ons, including NFL Network, HBO Max and the Entertainment Plus plan that includes HBO Max, Paramount Plus with Showtime and Starz.
Google and YouTube didn’t offer specific information on the precise channels available across each package, and it isn’t clear when the plans will be available to current subscribers. New customers will receive a discount for the first three months of their service, except on the sports-only tier, which will have a lower price for the first year of service.
