A blog post published by YouTube on Monday made a big proclamation: “Live TV just got more flexible.”
That’s how YouTube has chosen to market its new skinny bundles that will offer YouTube TV discounts to subscribers who are willing to limit themselves to category-specific channel lineups. The new skinny bundles, which are expected to launch “over the next several weeks,” will focus on a broad range of categories, including news, movies, family content, and, most importantly, sports.
Rumors first swirled about the new skinny bundles late last year, shortly after YouTube resolved a contentious carriage dispute with Disney. Those negotiations, like so many matters related to digital TV, centered around sports distribution rights. Those broadcasts often help streamers bring in new subscribers, and Disney — as the parent company of ESPN and its new “Unlimited” service — urged YouTube to pay a fair price for the coveted coverage.
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YouTube TV’s sports-themed bundle gives those sports fans another option: For $65 per month ($55/month for new subscribers), they can access most major sports hubs. The list of available channels will include national broadcast networks, ESPN and Fox Sports channels, regional college football carriers, March Madness broadcasters like TBS and TNT, and specific hubs for sports like golf, basketball, and pickleball. All of that will come cheaper than the standard YouTube TV package, which costs $83 per month and has become more expensive in recent years.
A few key channels are missing from the sports bundle. The MLB Network and Tennis Channel aren’t part of it yet, Netflix and Prime Video will maintain exclusivity on marquee sports events, and ESPN Unlimited won’t be included until the fall. Those omissions have frustrated some sports fans, even if the overall package is pretty comprehensive.
And if you’re not a sports fan, YouTube has you covered, too. An “Entertainment Plan” based around access to movies, for example, will cost $55 per month. The skinny bundles can also be combined for broader packages that still offer cheaper price tags than the standard YouTube TV offering. All in all, YouTube plans to offer at least 10 different bundles that will all put a few dollars back in subscribers’ pockets.
The end result will be a multitude of options for subscribers. YouTube TV is evolving into a product that looks less like traditional cable. More packages will let viewers pick and choose the channels they want the most, creating an “a la carte” experience that will provide the flexible experience YouTube is advertising.
