As the cost of cord-cutting continues to rise and rise, YouTube TV is getting even more expensive.
Google announced the latest price hike for the streaming service on Thursday, which brings the monthly cost of YouTube TV to $82.99. That marks a $10/month hike from the $72.99 monthly subscription previously. The change will be effective immediately for new customers and start on January 13 "for most existing users."
For those doing the math, that means it would cost $995 to be subscribed to YouTube TV for an entire year. YouTube TV has seen a number of price increases over the years, and now costs more than double what it did when it debuted in 2017 at $34.99. It also now costs exactly the same as Disney's Hulu + Live TV package.
In its announcement, Google unsurprisingly cites "the rising cost of content" as the reason for the change.
“We don’t make these decisions lightly, and we realize this has an impact on our members,” YouTube TV said in an email to subscribers. “We are committed to bringing you features that are changing the way we watch live TV, like unlimited DVR storage and multiview, and supporting YouTube TV’s breadth of content and vast on-demand library of movies and shows.”
YouTube TV has always been one of the more expensive subscription services, but it offers quite a bit that other platforms don't, including live TV and local programming. However, it's also lost some content over the years, including key sports programming like MLB Network.
Subscribers on social media, meanwhile, were quick to point out that cord-cutting can now get as expensive as paying for cable.
"I’m so glad that I made the right financial decision in 2018 and ditched my $89/mo cable package so that I can now pay $83/mo for YouTube TV, $23/mo for Netflix, $16/mo for Disney+, $13/mo for Paramount, $15/mo for Prime, $10/mo for AppleTV, and $21/mo for HBO," wrote one X/Twitter user.
YouTube TV is far from alone, as just about every other major streaming service — including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, and Max — has announced price increases over the past couple of years. For more on the streaming landscape, check out our most recent ranking of all the major services.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
