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YouTube TV takes the No. 1 streaming spot with 5 million subscribers

There’s a new No. 1 in the world of live TV streaming in the United States. The leader, apparently, is YouTube TV.

In a blog post penned by Christian Oestlien, VP of Product Management for YouTube TV and Connected TV, the company says “today, we’re humbled that 5 million of you are currently on this journey with us.” That’s some 2 million more subscribers since the last time we got an update in October 2020, when YouTube TV crowed about having “more than 3 million” subscribers. The new 5 million number also includes those who are in the trial period, YouTube TV said.

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YouTube TV on Roku TV
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Unlike most of its competitors, YouTube TV doesn’t give a precise breakdown of its subscriber numbers. Hulu With Live TV does, however, reporting 4.1 million subscribers as of April 2022. Sling TV reported 2.252 million subscribers, and FuboTV had 1.056 million subscribers as of March 31, 2022.

The blog post also laid out a few fun facts. The current five most DVR’d shows? Yellowstone, Saturday Night Live, This is Us, 60 Minutes, and Grey’s Anatomy.

YouTube TV has one main plan with more than 100 channels. It costs $65 and includes support for up to a half-dozen connected profiles and unlimited recording. There’s also a pricey 4K option, which gets you some live sports and a fair number of on-demand shows in the higher resolution, all for an extra $20 a month.

YouTube TV also has a fair number of optional add-ons, including a “Spanish Plus” extra with more than 25 Spanish-language channels, NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, Showtime, Starz, and more. There’s also a separate “Spanish Plan” that’s available separately for $25 a month.

More on YouTube TV

YouTube TV is available on all major streaming platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. It’s also available on phones and tablets and in web browsers.

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YouTube TV increases its monthly prices by $8 – is now the time to switch?
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YouTube TV has raised the price of its monthly subscription by $8, from $65 to $73. The move comes on the heels of its announcement that it will be adding a multiview feature for sports channels. The change in price will hit current subscribers on April 18, however, the streaming service, which is owned by Google, has already started charging new customers the higher price.

It's been a while since YouTube TV last raised its prices. That was in 2020, when the streaming service increased subscriptions from $50 to $65. When the service first launched in 2017, it only cost $35 per month.

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