This was posted on Saturday, July 22, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Not too long ago, your only options for a decent TV selection were cable or satellite. Now thanks to streaming, the buffet is seemingly endless. Targeting younger folks who still want access to broadcast and cable networks anywhere, YouTube is now offering an array of 48 channels for $35 a month in 10 new markets including Atlanta.
Besides, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, cable networks included are ESPN, regional Fox Sports, AMC, Disney, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, FX, USA, MSNBC and Fox News. Time Warner channels such as HBO, TNT, TBS and CNN are not included. Showtime will cost you $11 a month extra. The YouTube Red subscription channel is, of course, part of the package.
The price point is similar to that of SlingTV, which provides more a la carte options, and Hulu Live. Those two offer Time Warner/Turner channels like TBS, TNT, HBO and CNN, unlike YouTube TV.
YouTube TV can be played on a regular TV, a laptop, a tablet or smartphone with up to six different accounts. There's a cloud DVR and you can try it for one month free.
About half of YouTube viewers are between 13 and 34, according to Nielsen cited by TechCrunch
Since April, YouTube has offered the service in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago. Atlanta is among 10 more cities, including Miami, Dallas, Houston and Washington D.C.
The company did not reveal how many subscribers it has so far.
The average cable package now is about $100 a month, though it includes far more channels.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
