YouTube TV adds a bunch of channels and cities—for a price
YouTube TV is expanding its programming, and will be available in more cities with a higher price.
The network has added a number of channels to its lineup, including TNT, Adult Swim, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, truTV, and Turner Classic Movies. Soon, sports lovers can also expect NBA TV and MLB Network to join YouTube TV's base package, and NBA League Pass and MLB.TV as add-ons.
The service is also expanding to new areas, to cover what it clams is 85 percent of U.S. households. The service was previously available in around 75 cities. The new regions include Honolulu, Hawaii; El Paso, Texas; Richmond, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Scranton, Penn; Burlington, Vt.; and Lexington, Mass.
But if you're in a new market, you'll need to move fast. YouTube will be increasing the price of its service from $35 per month to $40 per month on March 13. The price increase applies to new members only -- if you join before March 13, you'll continue paying the old price. It's a clever scheme to get people in new markets to subscribe to YouTube TV as quickly as possible.
The price increase will put Youtube TV at a higher price point than many of its competitors. Hulu with Live TV is $39.99 per month, DirecTV Now starts at $35 per month, PlayStation Vue begins at $40, while Sling TV slips under the stick at $20 per month.
But with its new content, YouTube TV will offer close to 60 channels, where Hulu offers approximately 50 (though its extensive on-demand library makes it a popular choice for binge watchers), PlayStation around 45, and Sling close to 30.
And the announcement is no surprise, as YouTube TV's expansion has been ruthless in the past few months. The service broke free of the smartphone space with the launch of its smart TV and set top-box app last October, and rolled out for Roku and Apple TV earlier this year.
Check if YouTube TV is available in your region on YouTube TV's help page.
CORRECTION: Feb. 14, 2018, 2:40 p.m. EST An earlier version of the story misidentified the updated price of YouTube TV as $45. The story now reflects the correct price of $40.
Topics YouTube
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
