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

Within the US, there are a selection of live TV streaming options — akin to DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Hulu+ Dwell TV — however YouTube TV stays one of many largest and hottest. The principle disadvantage for cord-cutters, nonetheless, is worth. The bottom plan begins at $83 monthly, a steep bounce from the $35 month-to-month price it launched with in 2017. To make the service extra reasonably priced and entice 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 principal choices mentioned to be a sports-focused bundle that includes channels like ESPN, Fox Sports activities, and NBC Sports activities.

Proper now, YouTube TV provides solely a single all-in-one plan with greater than 100 stay channels. The concept behind these new, lower-cost packages, or “skinny TV bundles” as they’re usually referred to 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 essential to notice that YouTube TV hasn’t made any official announcement about this, and Twine Cutter Information does not disclose its supply. So whereas it is thrilling that YouTube TV may lastly offer some cheaper TV packages quickly, it is value taking this with a grain of salt proper now.

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

DirecTV provides Style Packs, which can be just like what YouTube TV may ultimately supply

Credit score: Erik Mclean / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

Moreover a probably extra reasonably priced sports activities bundle coming to YouTube TV subsequent yr, Twine Cutter Information additionally reviews that YouTube may supply different cheap choices, akin to a children bundle with channels like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, in addition to an “entertainment-focused” bundle that features channels with drama sequence and flicks.

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

For instance, DirecTV’s MyEntertainment pack contains over 60 information and leisure channels, akin to A&E, AMC, CNN, HGTV, and FX, for $35 monthly. DirecTV additionally provides 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 obtainable, priced at $60 monthly.

It appears 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 actually, 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.

In my opinion, extra reasonably priced, focused bundles are a wiser route for stay TV — and a a lot better different 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 may really come subsequent yr. In different information, YouTube TV just lately signed a brand new distribution deal with Disney, so at the least all of the Disney-owned channels will stay on the service for the foreseeable future, together with ESPN.