YouTube TV is once again raising its monthly subscription prices, citing the rising cost of content and other investments.
In an email to customers on Dec. 12, the company announced that it will increase its base plan subscription by $10 dollars, from $72.99 to $82.99.
“We don’t make these decisions lightly, and we realize this has an impact on our members,” read the statement.
The new rate will go into effect immediately for new users, while existing customers will see the change in their first billing cycle starting on or after Jan. 13. New subscribers can still get a promotional rate of $59.99 for their first three months.
The service, which launched in 2017, has more than doubled from its original $35-a-month price and has increased in popularity as consumers ditch traditional cable.
The Google subsidiary currently offers over 100 channels from broadcast, cable, and regional sports networks. It advertises a DVR of unlimited storage and up to 6 accounts per household, with the ability to watch up to three concurrent streams.
“We are committed to bringing you features that are changing the way we watch live TV,” the company said.
YouTube TV justified its previous price increases with more channel accessibility and live content, like sports. It also said it faced pressures from licensing disputes that contributed to interruption of services.
With over 8 million YouTube TV subscribers as of February, the service is considered the largest internet-delivered pay-TV service in the nation.
Disney’s Hulu + Live TV, the second-largest, also raised its prices earlier this year.
According to a report from Nielsen this month, streaming services accounted for over 40 percent of time spent watching TV in November alone, a nine-month high. Meanwhile, according to data from the audience measurement firm, ratings for traditional broadcast and cable channels appear to be on the decline.
Nielsen said that more Americans watched streaming content on their TVs in November than they did on either broadcast or cable networks.
