YouTube TV is likely to be getting cheaper in 2026, however there is a catch

Within the US, there are a variety of live TV streaming options — resembling DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Hulu+ Stay TV — however YouTube TV stays one of many greatest and hottest. The primary disadvantage for cord-cutters, nevertheless, is worth. The bottom plan begins at $83 monthly, a steep leap from the $35 month-to-month charge it launched with in 2017. To make the service extra inexpensive and appeal to extra customers, Google might lastly introduce modifications that customers have been ready years for.

YouTube TV is reportedly making ready to launch new, lower-cost TV packages early subsequent yr, in response to Cord Cutter News. These lower-cost packages would goal particular audiences, with one of many predominant choices stated to be a sports-focused package deal that includes channels like ESPN, Fox Sports activities, and NBC Sports activities.

Proper now, YouTube TV presents solely a single all-in-one plan with greater than 100 reside channels. The concept behind these new, lower-cost packages, or “skinny TV bundles” as they’re typically referred to as, is to take choose channels from the complete lineup and provide them in smaller, cheaper packages to assist minimize down on the price of reside TV, and provide individuals simply the channels they really wish to watch.

It is necessary to notice that YouTube TV hasn’t made any official announcement about this, and Wire Cutter Information would not expose its supply. So whereas it is thrilling that YouTube TV might lastly offer some cheaper TV packages quickly, it is price taking this with a grain of salt proper now.

YouTube TV could possibly be taking a web page from DirecTV’s playbook

DirecTV presents Style Packs, which can be just like what YouTube TV would possibly ultimately provide

Credit score: Erik Mclean / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

In addition to a doubtlessly extra inexpensive sports activities package deal coming to YouTube TV subsequent yr, Wire Cutter Information additionally reviews that YouTube would possibly provide different cheap choices, resembling a children package deal with channels like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, in addition to an “entertainment-focused” package deal that features channels with drama collection and flicks.

Thus far, all these cheaper, smaller packages that YouTube TV might provide subsequent yr remind me of DirecTV’s Genre Packs. Whereas DirecTV presents a number of massive all-in-one packages with numerous channels, its Style Packs, which it launched earlier this yr, are less expensive and provide only a number of channels geared toward particular audiences.

For instance, DirecTV’s MyEntertainment pack consists of over 60 information and leisure channels, resembling A&E, AMC, CNN, HGTV, and FX, for $35 monthly. DirecTV additionally presents a MySports Style Pack, which incorporates over 20 sports-focused channels, together with ESPN, NBC, TNT, CBS Sports activities Community, and native ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC stations the place accessible, priced at $60 monthly.

It seems like YouTube TV could also be taking a web page straight from DirecTV’s playbook if it launches lower-cost, genre-based packages subsequent yr — and truthfully, I am all for it. I do know loads of individuals who have zero curiosity in sports activities and solely need leisure channels, simply as I do know others who solely activate reside TV for sports activities and get every little thing else from streaming providers like Netflix, and these new lower-cost TV packages would work nice for them.

In my opinion, extra inexpensive, focused bundles are a better course for reside TV — and a a lot better various to the bloated, all-in-one packages that some streamers provide, the place you find yourself paying for content material you may by no means watch.

YouTube TV hasn’t formally introduced these potential bundles, and Wire Cutter Information did not identify its supply, so it is unclear whether or not these cheaper YouTube TV packages would possibly truly come subsequent yr. In different information, YouTube TV not too long ago signed a brand new distribution deal with Disney, so at the very least all of the Disney-owned channels will stay on the service for the foreseeable future, together with ESPN.