YouTube TV is perhaps getting cheaper in 2026, however there is a catch

Within the US, there are a selection of live TV streaming options — comparable to DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Hulu+ Reside TV — however YouTube TV stays one of many greatest and hottest. The principle downside for cord-cutters, nonetheless, is value. The bottom plan begins at $83 per 30 days, a steep leap from the $35 month-to-month payment 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 keeping with Cord Cutter News. These lower-cost packages would goal particular audiences, with one of many fundamental choices mentioned to be a sports-focused bundle 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 stay channels. The thought behind these new, lower-cost packages, or “skinny TV bundles” as they’re usually known as, is to take choose channels from the total lineup and supply them in smaller, cheaper packages to assist lower down on the price of stay TV, and supply individuals simply the channels they really need to watch.

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

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

DirecTV presents Style Packs, which can be much like what YouTube TV would possibly ultimately supply

Credit score: Erik Mclean / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

Moreover a probably extra inexpensive sports activities bundle coming to YouTube TV subsequent yr, Twine Cutter Information additionally studies that YouTube would possibly supply different cheap choices, comparable to a youngsters bundle with channels like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, in addition to an “entertainment-focused” bundle that features channels with drama sequence and films.

To this point, all these cheaper, smaller packages that YouTube TV might supply 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 supply only a number of channels aimed toward particular audiences.

For instance, DirecTV’s MyEntertainment pack contains over 60 information and leisure channels, comparable to A&E, AMC, CNN, HGTV, and FX, for $35 per 30 days. 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 per 30 days.

It appears like YouTube TV could also be taking a web page immediately 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 stay TV for sports activities and get every part else from streaming companies like Netflix, and these new lower-cost TV packages would work nice for them.

For my part, extra inexpensive, focused bundles are a better course for stay TV — and a significantly better various to the bloated, all-in-one packages that some streamers supply, 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 Twine Cutter Information did not title 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 just lately signed a brand new distribution deal with Disney, so no less than all of the Disney-owned channels will stay on the service for the foreseeable future, together with ESPN.