This week, YouTube TV is rolling out several new offerings aimed at paring down its bloated base package to give consumers more affordable, genre-targeted options.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated of these new “skinny bundles” is the sports package. But even sports fans will have multiple new options to explore. Below, we break down each of the four main genre-specific bundles that YouTube TV announced on Monday. You’ll find the cost of a monthly subscription and the channels that will presumably be included in the package. (YouTube TV hasn’t officially announced full channel lineups for each package, but their announcement includes the broad strokes.)
Let’s begin with the Sports Plan.
Sports Plan
YouTube TV’s Sports Plan clocks in at a price of $64.99 per month for existing users, and a promotional price of $54.99 per month for new users for one year. Existing users can save $18 per month versus the YouTube TV Base Plan, which runs $82.99 per month.
The package will include everything a sports fan needs to watch the vast majority of live sports programming. That includes the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW, and Ion), cable networks including every ESPN channel (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, NFL Network, SEC Network, and ACC Network), and every other cable sports network (FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, USA Network, Golf Channel, NBA TV, CBS Sports Network, and NBC Sports Network).
The Sports Plan will also include access to ESPN Unlimited beginning this fall, per YouTube TV’s announcement. Eventually, YouTube TV will also integrate all ESPN content, including live events that now stream exclusively on ESPN’s own app, into the YouTube TV platform.
What’s not included are the other streaming services that broadcast live sports. Those would primarily include Prime Video (home of Thursday Night Football and a package of NBA games), Netflix (various live events throughout the year), and Paramount+ (UFC and various soccer leagues). Peacock is also not included, but Peacock-exclusive sports broadcasts are simulcast on the NBC Sports Network, which is included.
Sports + News Plan
For those that want to have both sports and news channels included in their package, this is likely the best value. At $71.99 per month for existing users, and a promotional price of $56.99 per month for three months for new users, the Sports + News Plan includes everything in the Sports Plan, in addition to cable news networks Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, CSPAN, Fox Business, Fox News, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), NewsNation, and Newsmax.
Essentially, for $7 per month more than the Sports Plan, you can add all of the national news networks.
Entertainment Plan
At a price of $54.99 for existing users, or $44.99 for new users for three months, the entertainment plan includes none of the sports- or news-focused channels, but does include the major broadcast networks and a selection of entertainment channels. YouTube TV doesn’t give a full list of networks in its announcement, but it seems the package will include channels owned by Disney (FX, Freeform, Nat Geo, A&E), Paramount (Comedy Central, BET, MTV), NBCUniversal (Bravo), and Warner Bros. Discovery (Food Network, HGTV).
This plan seemingly will not include family-oriented programming such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, or Cartoon Network.
News + Entertainment + Family Plan
This plan can best be described as the “everything but sports” plan. For $69.99 per month, or $59.99 per month for new users for three months, users will receive all the news channels available in the Sports + News Plan, all of the entertainment channels in the Entertainment Plan, as well as children’s channels like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel.
Of course, this will be of no interest to sports fans but would be a suitable package for families that do not watch sports.
Other Plans
YouTube TV has not yet announced specifics for other genre-specific plans that it will offer, though it has said it will launch at least 10 such packages. These other plans could possibly include a Spanish-language package, a family-only plan, or maybe even a skinnier sports bundle that only includes a few main channels like ESPN and FS1. We’ll find out soon.
But overall, this is great news for consumers who now can pick and choose what content they want and what content they can do without, all for a more affordable price than a full cable or satellite bundle.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.