YouTube TV is most likely to be worth it if you want live local channels, sports and cable networks without a cable box or contract, and you will use the unlimited DVR. The main plan costs $82.99 a month in the US, so it makes the most sense when it replaces a cable or satellite bill. If you watch one or two kinds of TV, one of the smaller genre plans may fit better, and if you mostly watch on demand, services such as Peacock at $12.99 a month or Paramount+ Premium at $13.99 cost a fraction of that.
What YouTube TV costs
The main plan, which YouTube used to call the Base Plan, costs $82.99 a month. YouTube says it carries more than 100 broadcast, cable and regional sports networks, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN. Which local stations you get depends on your home ZIP code, and YouTube's site has a ZIP code lookup that shows the lineup before you sign up.
New subscribers can try it first. YouTube advertises a 10-day free trial on its US sign-up page, though it says trial lengths vary by plan and are only for people who have not had a YouTube TV trial before. The trial turns into a paid membership automatically.
The smaller genre plans
Since February 2026, YouTube TV has also sold smaller plans built around sports, news, entertainment and family channels, and combinations of them. The Sports Plan costs $64.99 a month for 30+ channels, including the major broadcast networks, FS1, NBC Sports Network and all of the ESPN networks. At launch, YouTube listed the Entertainment Plan at $54.99 a month and the News + Entertainment + Family Plan at $69.99 a month.
You pick from YouTube's set combinations, such as Sports + News or Entertainment + Family. You can't build your own plan by choosing single channels.
Add-ons that raise the price
- 4K Plus: $9.99 a month for selected 4K content, DVR downloads on phones and tablets, unlimited streams on your home Wi-Fi and three streams away from home.
- NFL RedZone with Sports Plus: $10.99 a month, which also adds channels such as beIN SPORTS, Tennis Channel and FanDuel TV.
- Entertainment Plus: $29.99 a month for HBO Max Standard (ad-free), STARZ and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, with no free trial.
- Spanish Plus: $14.99 a month for 25+ more Spanish-language networks on top of a YouTube TV plan.
- NFL Sunday Ticket: sold separately for the season, on top of the YouTube TV plan.
The DVR and sharing
The DVR has no storage limit, adding a show or team records its upcoming airings, and each recording is kept for nine months.
One membership can be shared with five other people in the same household at no extra cost, six accounts in all, and each gets a separate library and recommendations. A standard membership plays on three devices at the same time.
The catches
- Home area rules: your home ZIP code sets your local channels, you can change your home area only twice in 12 months, and you have to use YouTube TV at home at least once every three months if you travel.
- Channel disputes: carriage fights can pull networks. In late 2025, Disney channels including ABC, ESPN and FX were off YouTube TV from the end of October until a deal on 14 November, and Univision was off from the end of September until a new agreement on 26 November.
- Add-on creep: 4K, RedZone and premium channels each add to the monthly bill.
Cancelling or pausing
There is no contract. You can cancel under Settings, then Membership, and keep access until the end of the period you paid for. You can also pause for four weeks to six months, which takes effect after the current billing cycle. For the full steps, see our guide on how to cancel YouTube TV.
Who should skip it
If you rarely watch live TV or sports, you pay $82.99 a month mostly for channels you won't use. If you only want sports or news, check whether one of the genre plans covers your channels before paying for the main plan, and enter your ZIP code first to confirm your local stations.
