YouTube TV television alternatives

Who are YouTube TV’s Competitors?

The YouTube TV live streaming service competes with other live TV services such as DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and Philo as well as traditional TV providers such as Xfinity, Spectrum, DIRECTV, and DISH. It requires broadband internet access, but you might be able to save each month by bundling with your T-Mobile cell phone or home internet service.

YouTube TV costs about the same as most other live TV streaming services and some mid-tier cable subscriptions, but we love that there are no extra fees and you can cancel anytime. You can even buy add-ons separately—a feature we’ve never seen before.

We also love that you can get all your local channels—even PBS (which is missing from most other live TV streaming lineups). You can’t catch as many games with YouTube TV as with DIRECTV STREAM, though, and you don’t get access to original content or third-party streaming libraries like with Hulu + Live TV.

Taking your shows on the road?

When you sign up for YouTube TV with a personal Google account, you can add up to five other family members to the service. With the basic plan, your family can watch three simultaneous streams or record an unlimited number of simultaneous shows. If you pay for the 4K Plus add-on, you get unlimited streams at home and up to three simultaneous streams away from home.

The free cloud DVR is connected to individual Google accounts, and each user’s library is accessible from any device that’s connected to broadband internet. There may be local restrictions on some programming, but we didn’t run into any issues switching between a few different browsers, streaming devices, and home networks. If you like live TV and watch while you’re out and about, we think YouTube TV is a solid option.