Here's How Much YouTube TV Should Charge For New Sports-Only Plan
While YouTube TV sports tier will also include games from NBC and CBS, streamers can already access those through Peacock ($10.99) and Paramount+ ($8.99).
YouTube TV will have to keep the cost of its upcoming sports-only subscription service considerably low to provide any value.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that YouTube plans to launch a dedicated sports tier that will cost less than the platform’s standard $82-per-month package. Although a final price has not yet been decided upon, the tier is expected to include at least CBS, ABC, NBC, ESPN, Fox, FS1, and NBC Sports Network.
A year ago, a slimmed-down package focused on live sports would have been an attractive option. For many viewers, live sports were the only reason to keep cable, satellite, or YouTube TV. However, in the fall, ESPN and Fox made their sports events available with a cable login via the launch of their direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, ESPN Unlimited and Fox One.
The two networks have also bundled the DTCs for $39.99 per month.
(Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
And while YouTube TV sports tier will also include games from NBC and CBS, streamers can already access those through Peacock ($10.99) and Paramount+ ($8.99).
All told, sports fans can now stream nearly every major sporting event for roughly $60 per month by combining ESPN/Fox One ($39.99), Peacock ($10.99), and Paramount+ ($8.99).
That said, "nearly every" is the key phrase.
Wednesday’s reporting did not mention TNT Sports, which holds rights to the MLB, NHL, NCAA basketball, AEW, and several College Football Playoff games. If TNT Sports isn’t included in YouTube TV’s sports plan at launch, fans will still need HBO Max for around $14.99 for those broadcasts.
Note: It could take months, if not years, for YouTube TV to include TNT Sports. For background, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is heading toward a potential legal battle after agreeing to sell its streaming assets (which do not include its sports portfolio) to Netflix instead of Paramount. Looking ahead, TNT Sports could end up its own company, part of Paramount, or be sold elsewhere entirely.
Setting that aside, YouTube TV's sports-only subscription will have to offer a price lower than $60 for the mix of ESPN, Fox One, Peacock, and Paramount+. At the same price, subscribers are better off subscribing individually, gaining access to Fox News, Peacock’s library, and Paramount+ originals.
All this considered, the sports-only tier is probably worth about $45 a month. Let's see if YouTube agrees.
Disclosure: OutKick and Fox One share common ownership.