Still the best way to stream Live TV
While some video streaming services primarily feature on-demand or original content, others can completely replace your cable subscription. YouTube TV takes the latter approach, offering over 80 channels of news, sports, and entertainment in one package. It also integrates excellent DVR features and supports a ton of platforms. Despite its high (and ever-increasing) monthly cost, the service still offers the best combination of channels and streaming specs. YouTube TV also won a PCMag Readers’ Choice Award for live TV streaming services. What Channels Can You Watch on YouTube TV? YouTube TV features a collection of over 90 channels, which stacks up well against the competition. In fact, it offers one of the most complete channel lineups of all the video streaming services I’ve reviewed. Starting with the locals, you get all the major networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. If all you care about is watching your local channels, Locast is a solid, inexpensive choice. YouTube TV and Locast are the only live streaming services we’ve reviewed that offer local PBS channels. Some of the news channels on YouTube TV include BBC America, CNBC, CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC. That lineup compares favorably to others. Apart from the broadcast affiliates, sports channels on YouTube TV include CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN 2, NFL Network, NBC Sports, MLB Network, and NBA TV. However, YouTube TV’s RSN coverage is spotty. It includes all NBC Sports RSNs, but it lacks every AT&T-owned RSN (except SportsNet NY) and every Bally Sports RSN (previously, these were FOX Sports RSNs). The limited RSN coverage has significant implications for your ability to watch regular-season MLB, NBA, and NHL games, so make sure to check which channel airs your local team’s games before committing to any sports streaming service. AT&T TV is currently the only service we’ve reviewed that offers Bally Sports, NBC Sports, and SportsNet RSNs, though it is missing some of the NBC Sports ones. For NFL coverage specifically, take a look at our roundup of the best NFL streaming services. For baseball and basketball fans, we also have roundups of the best MLB streaming services and the best NBA streaming services. YouTube TV also serves an industry-leading variety of entertainment and lifestyle content. Channels include AMC, Cartoon Network, The CW, FX, National Geographic, TNT, and USA. Additions from the Discovery network include Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, TLC, and Travel Channel. A content deal with ViaconCBS added 14 channels including, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1, BET Her, MTV2, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, and MTV Classic. YouTube TV’s content mix is most similar to that of Hulu + Live TV, especially since you get access to some on-demand shows and movies from YouTube TV’s channels. However, Hulu’s on-demand library is much more extensive. Check out our head-to-head comparison between YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV for a full rundown of the differences. AT&T TV’s channel lineup is also comparable, though it splits popular channels across multiple tiers of service. Other live TV services may offer a better range of content for specific areas. For example, fuboTV matches YouTube TV’s sports lineup and differentiates itself with international sports content. Philo is specifically focused on lifestyle and entertainment channels; if that is all you want to watch, you can save money by subscribing to it instead of YouTube TV. How Much Does YouTube TV Cost? At $64.99, YouTube used to be one of the most expensive full-featured options, but now Hulu + Live TV charges the same price. Sling’s Orange and Blue plans only cost $35 per month ($50 per month combined), but their channel lineups are limited. If you really want to keep costs down, Philo only charges $20 per month for about 60 live channels, though most are of the entertainment genre. AT&T TV starts at $69.99 per month and more complete channel packages (including those with RSNs) cost significantly more than YouTube TV. FuboTV starts at $59.99 per month, but it too offers pricier plans. On-demand services are much cheaper, but appeal to a different subset of subscribers. Netflix, for example, starts at $8.99 per month, while Disney+ is $7.99 per month. YouTube TV is available on many platforms including Android and iOS devices, as well as via the browser. Additionally, YouTube TV works on Android TVs, Apple TVs, Fire TVs, Rokus, select smart TVs, the Xbox One, and now the PlayStation 4. YouTube TV lets you set up six different user accounts, but sets a limit of three simultaneous users, which is about average. Recently, Google announced plans to offer new streaming features, including support for an unlimited number of simultaneous streams,4K live streams, and the ability to watch DVR recordings offline.
