Short answer: YouTube TV's Base plan has cost $82.99 a month since December 2024, and YouTube has said it will not change that price during 2026. That follows five increases since launch at $35 in 2017, a 137 per cent rise overall. The catch is that the pressure has not gone away: it has moved into cheaper but narrower genre plans, pricier add-ons and periodic channel blackouts. The next increase is more likely than not once 2026 ends, so it is worth knowing your options now.
At a glance
YouTube TV pricing, September 2026
| Base plan | $82.99/month, unchanged since Dec 2024 |
| 2026 commitment | No Base price change this year |
| Genre plans | $54.99 to $71.99 (from Feb 2026) |
| Launch price | $35 in April 2017 |
| Total rise | About 137% in under eight years |
| Last blackout | Disney channels, 30 Oct to 14 Nov 2025 |
Every YouTube TV price increase
| Date | New price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| April 2017 (launch) | $35.00 | - |
| March 2018 | $40.00 | +$5 |
| May 2019 | $49.99 | +$10 |
| June 2020 | $64.99 | +$15 |
| April 2023 | $72.99 | +$8 |
| December 2024 | $82.99 | +$10 |
Each rise has been justified by the rising cost of the channels, particularly sports networks and local broadcast stations, which charge carriers per subscriber. The 2020 increase coincided with adding ViacomCBS channels; the 2024 rise was explained as reflecting higher content costs.
Over the same period, YouTube TV became the largest streaming pay-TV service in the US, which gives it bargaining power but also exposes it to bigger fee demands.
What has happened in 2026
No Base price rise. YouTube TV has held the Base plan at $82.99 and said publicly that it would not change during 2026.
Genre plans arrived. In February 2026 YouTube TV launched cheaper, narrower packages: an Entertainment plan at $54.99, a Sports plan at $64.99, News + Entertainment + Family at $69.99, and Sports + News at $71.99, with more promised. Each includes local channels and unlimited DVR.
Promotions got bigger. New subscribers were offered Base at $67.99 for several months at various points in 2026, including a limited-time offer in June.
ESPN Unlimited came along. After Disney's channels were pulled from YouTube TV for about two weeks in late 2025, the new deal gave subscribers access to ESPN Unlimited content at no extra cost, integrated into YouTube TV.
Why the price keeps rising
Carriage fees. Networks charge distributors a fee per subscriber, and those fees rise with every renewal. ESPN is the most expensive single cable channel, and local broadcast stations have pushed retransmission fees up steadily.
Sport. Rights costs for the NFL, NBA and college football have risen sharply, and networks pass those costs on through carriage fees.
Blackouts as leverage. When renewals stall, channels are pulled. YouTube TV has had disputes with Disney, and earlier with others. Each deal that ends a blackout usually costs more than the one before.
Genre plans are YouTube's attempt to offer lower prices without cutting its margins: fewer channels means fewer fees.
Will YouTube TV raise prices again?
Nobody outside YouTube knows the timing, but the pattern is clear. Increases have come every one to two years, carriage costs continue to rise, and the 2026 price commitment explicitly covers this year only.
Past rises have been announced a few weeks in advance, by email and in-app notice, and applied at the next billing date. If a rise is announced, existing subscribers typically move to the new price on their next bill after it takes effect.
A sensible assumption for budgeting is that the Base plan will cost more in 2027 than it does now. We will update this article when anything is announced.
Is $82.99 still reasonable value?
Price alone is misleading, so it helps to compare like with like.
| Service | Monthly | Local channels | DVR | Streams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV Base | $82.99 | Yes | Unlimited, 9 months | 3 (more with 4K Plus) |
| Hulu + Live TV | $89.99 | Yes | Unlimited, 9 months | 2 (more with add-on) |
| Fubo Pro | $79.99 | Yes | Included | Up to 10 at home |
| DirecTV Stream (entry) | Varies by market | Yes | Unlimited | Varies |
| Typical cable package | $120-150 with fees | Yes | Extra cost | Per box |
Against its direct rivals, YouTube TV is not an outlier; they have all risen in step, because they pay the same networks. Against cable, it remains cheaper once box rental, broadcast fees and regional sports fees are included.
What has changed is the value of the full bundle for households that watch only part of it. That is exactly the gap the genre plans are designed to fill, and for many subscribers they are now the better buy.
Sunday Ticket is separate. NFL Sunday Ticket costs extra on top of any plan: $378 a season for returning YouTube TV subscribers in 2026, with discounts for new customers. It is often the biggest single line on a football fan's YouTube TV bill.
Blackouts: the hidden cost
Price rises are one way carriage costs reach subscribers; blackouts are the other. When YouTube TV and a network cannot agree terms, the channels disappear until a deal is struck.
The most significant recent example was Disney. ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels were pulled from YouTube TV on 30 October 2025 and returned on 14 November, in the middle of the football season. YouTube TV offered affected subscribers a $20 credit.
Blackouts are not a reason to avoid YouTube TV in particular: every distributor has them. They are a reason to keep an antenna for local channels, which cannot be blacked out by a carriage dispute.
Your options if the price is too high
| Option | Monthly | What you lose |
|---|---|---|
| Switch to a genre plan | $54.99-71.99 | Channels outside the genre |
| Sling Orange or Blue + antenna | $45.99 | Unlimited DVR, most locals by streaming |
| Fubo Sports | $55.99 | NBC, many cable entertainment channels |
| ESPN Unlimited + Fox One + antenna | $39.99 | CNN, entertainment cable, single guide |
| Antenna + free streaming apps | $0 | All cable networks |
Our cord cutting guide and IPTV vs YouTube TV comparison go through these in more detail.
Ways to pay less without leaving
Downgrade to a genre plan if you only use part of the line-up. Check the exact channel list first, as each plan draws the line differently.
Pause instead of cancelling during months you do not watch; YouTube TV allows pausing for a period.
Drop unused add-ons. 4K Plus ($9.99) and Sports Plus are easy to forget once the season ends.
Share with your household. Up to six household members can have their own profiles and DVR at no extra cost.
Re-check promotions. Offers for new subscribers sometimes return; if you are between subscriptions, it can pay to wait for one.
A note on cheap IPTV alternatives
Every YouTube TV price rise brings a wave of adverts for IPTV subscriptions offering thousands of channels for $10 or $15. Those services are generally unlicensed, which is why they are cheap. They can disappear mid-season, apps are increasingly blocked by platforms such as Amazon Fire TV, and payment details go to anonymous sellers.
The licensed options above are the realistic way to spend less. Our IPTV subscription guide explains how to tell the difference.
Quick answers
How much is YouTube TV now? The Base plan costs $82.99 a month as of September 2026. Genre plans launched in February 2026 cost between $54.99 and $71.99.
When did YouTube TV last raise its price? In December 2024, when the Base plan rose from $72.99 to $82.99.
Will YouTube TV go up in 2026? YouTube TV has said the Base plan price will not change during 2026. It has not committed beyond that.
How much has YouTube TV gone up since launch? From $35 in 2017 to $82.99, an increase of about 137 per cent across five price rises.
Why does YouTube TV keep raising prices? Mainly because networks, especially sports channels and local broadcast stations, charge higher fees per subscriber at each renewal.
What is the cheapest YouTube TV plan? The Entertainment genre plan at $54.99 a month, which includes local channels but no sports channels.
Does YouTube TV include ESPN Unlimited? Following YouTube TV's 2025 deal with Disney, subscribers get access to ESPN Unlimited content at no extra cost within YouTube TV.
YouTube TV's prices, plans, promotions and channel agreements change over time. This article reflects announcements up to the date below and will be revised if a new increase is announced. Checked September 2026.