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YouTube will offer a live TV bundle for $35 a month

YouTube TV rolling out soon

YouTube TV
YouTube

YouTube announced today that it is moving forward with a streaming service for live television, simply called YouTube TV, that will provide a mix of cable and broadcast channels to subscribers for $35 a month.

The TV service, which won’t feature content from AMC or HBO, will also not give subscribers access to all of YouTube’s exclusive series on YouTube Red, according to Recode. All four major broadcast networks — NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC — have signed on to be included in the service, along with a few of cable channels.

The push to live TV comes just one year after YouTube launched its exclusive streaming service, YouTube Red. The service features original series from top content creators and costs $9.99 a month. One of the biggest YouTube personalities, PewDiePie, had one of the first series on Red, Scare PewDiePie, but the show was canceled following a controversy involving anti-Semitic videos.

It was first rumored last May that YouTube was trying to encroach on the same space occupied by Sony, AT&T and Hulu, who all have over-the-top live TV services. Sources told the Wall Street Journal at the time that YouTube was going to launch the service, which was then called Unplugged, by 2017. In October, another report from the Journal hinted that CBS would be joining YouTube’s service.

YouTube’s move into the live television sphere is just another push toward cord cutting from digital content companies. At $35 a month, YouTube is on the cheaper end of the subscription plans, but not by much. PlayStation Vue begins at $40 for 45 channels, while DirecTV Now’s cheapest plan costs $35 a month. Hulu’s recently announced live TV package will cost less than $40.

YouTube TV doesn’t have a specific release date at this time, but will be available by spring.

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