YouTube TV yesterday "announced a significant expansion of its channel lineup thanks to new deals" with Turner, NBA TV, and MLB Network, but "unfortunately for cord cutters, the company is tweaking its pricing plan, too," according to Sarah Perez of TECH CRUNCH. YouTube TV next month "will cost $5 more per month, bringing it more in line with competitors at $40 per month for new sign-ups." The good news is that "existing YouTube TV subscribers will remain grandfathered in to the current $35 per month plan." Google's OTT service said that the decision to "adjust the pricing was not necessarily due to the cost of the new networks." While YouTube "won’t confirm the recent reports that its service is trailing Hulu Live TV with just over 300,000 users to Hulu Live’s 450,000, it would say that the majority of YouTube TV subscribers are 35 or under." With the new additions, YouTube TV will "gain a number of channels younger users may prefer." Viewers will be able to "watch NBA games, NBA All-Star weekend, NBA Playoff games, MLB Postseason games, the PGA Championship and UEFA soccer." In a few months, YouTube TV also will "offer the ability to subscribe to NBA League Pass for watching out-of-market live games, as well as the streaming service MLB.TV." Alongside the programming and pricing announcements, YouTube TV noted the OTT service is "now available in all top 100 U.S. markets," or 85% of the country (TECHCRUNCH.com, 2/14). BLOOMBERG NEWS' Lucas Shaw noted the lack of Turner-owned networks was the "biggest hole in YouTube’s TV service, which has focused on live sports to complement the amateur creators, music videos and late-night clips already available for free." In a blog post, YouTube said, "For sports lovers, we've got you covered" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/14).
