Google announces YouTube TV, offering live television and unlimited recording space for $35/month

Tim Burrowes

March 1, 2017 6:49

YouTube has today launched its biggest challenge yet for the broadcast and streaming TV audience with the launch of YouTube TV.

The service, launching initially in the US, sees viewers able to watch linear TV including sport as it is broadcast by several of the main networks, record shows for later viewing and view premium programming from the YouTube TV library.

The offering was announced in a blog post from YouTube today. Promising “live TV designed for the YouTube generation”, the offering includes the ability to stream the content of the major US networks ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN along with several cable operators.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.

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5 COMMENTS

Ummmm 1 Mar 17

So it’s like TIVO in an app?

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Contentment 1 Mar 17

AU$45 per month feels like a lot for what is currently free tv. More so when you have Stan and Netflix at AU$10. I guess they are offering youtube red (strange brand considering the prevalence of redtube) as well but as they are stopping ads in youtube probably not a lot of upside in the medium term.

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Crocodile 2 Mar 17

Hilarious Greek Tragedy Continues. Google will charge for FTA TV while they kill print publisher circs by publishing their news for free.
Given what we pay for bottled water why not pay for free TV.

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This can only mean 2 Mar 17

Good riddance Foxtel!

What do we think?

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Unbundled 2 Mar 17

Look again…. The blog post says 40 channels and content like ESPN isn’t available free elsewhere.

It’s essentially a TV network + cable channel bundle, plus cloud DVR in a single app. Looks like $35ish value compared to what you’d pay to access that content elsewhere.

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