YouTube unveils live TV service for cord cutters

[CaseyJones]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-youtube-idUSKBN1672K2?il=0

Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) YouTube will launch a live TV service featuring U.S. broadcast networks and cable channels to attract young fans of online videos to a pay television package, YouTube executives said on Tuesday.

The new offering, called YouTube TV, will compete with other services fighting to attract mobile-loving younger audiences who dropped pricier, traditional cable and satellite packages or never signed up in the first place.

YouTube TV will be delivered over the internet and debut in the coming months at a cost of $35 a month for six accounts, YouTube Chief Executive Susan Wojcicki told reporters at an event in Los Angeles.

YouTube TV subscribers will be able to watch original programming that appears on YouTube Red, a subscription service that includes movies and shows starring popular YouTube video creators.

The development of the live TV package is an attempt to sell a new service to viewers hooked on YouTube's free videos.

"Millennials love great TV content, but what we’ve seen is they don’t want to watch it in the traditional setting," Wojcicki said.

YouTube TV will feature Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC, CBS Corp's (CBS.N) CBS, 21st Century Fox's (FOXA.O) Fox and Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBC plus cable channels including ESPN, USA and FX. It will launch initially in select U.S. markets.

The offering will compete with services such as Dish Network Corp's (DISH.O) Sling TV, AT&T's (T.N) DirecTV Now and Sony Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation Vue. Those packages sell for roughly $20 to $65 a month. Hulu also is developing a live TV service.

All of the live digital services provide TV networks an avenue to make up for their loss of customers to "cord cutting," or the dropping of pay TV. Channel owners say they earn as much or more for each subscriber on a live digital service as they do through cable or satellite packages.

YouTube executives said they aimed to make the YouTube TV app easy to use across mobile devices, desktop computers or an Internet-connected televisions. Users will be able to record programming on a cloud DVR and watch it for up to nine months. Engineers also are incorporating technology from Google, such as the ability to voice search TV shows through a Google Home device.

"Even though we are in this golden age of content, the current TV age isn’t doing it justice," said Neal Mohan, YouTube's chief product officer. "We feel we are in a great position to reinvent the way TV works."

 

[Zippyjuan]

Cut my cable (except for internet) and don't miss it.

 

[Suzanimal]

Cut my cable (except for internet) and don't miss it.

I think Mr Animal misses watching all his dumb car shows but I don't even notice. I'm notoriously bad at staying interested in tv shows. Aside from a few series that only lasted a couple of seasons, I don't think I've ever watched a show from start to finish. I even started losing interest in Dr Who and that's probably one of my favorite shows ever. I watched a few episodes but I didn't care for the Dr/Amy Pond story line after David Tennant left.

 

[Zippyjuan]

I had the cheapest Time Warner package which had probably a dozen channels plus WGN and TBS. When I got rid of cable and went antenna, I got all the same channels minus the TBS and WGN. Plus a Mexican channel which sometimes runs new movies with English on the secondary audio program. PBS now has four channels over the air locally. Was paying like $16 a month. Only negative is that cars driving by can interfere with some of the channels.

 

[CPUd]

LOL Youtube Red:

What is YouTube Red?
YouTube Red is a paid membership that gives you an enhanced, uninterrupted experience across YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube Gaming.
YouTube Red benefits:
• Ad-free videos: Watch videos without interruptions
• Save offline: Save videos and songs on your mobile device to watch offline
• Background play: Keep videos or music playing when using other apps or when your screen’s off
• Audio mode: Listen to audio only on the YouTube Music app
• Google Play Music Subscription (when available in your country) is included at no additional cost
YouTube Red benefits won’t work on YouTube videos that you pay to view, such as paid channels, movie rentals, and pay-per-view purchases. Learn more about paid content on YouTube.
YouTube Red is available for mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, and TVs. Some benefits are compatible only with certain devices (details about each benefit below).

Most of that stuff you can do anyway, with the right browser plugins and mobile apps.

 

[Suzanimal]

I had the cheapest Time Warner package which had probably a dozen channels plus WGN and TBS. When I got rid of cable and went antenna, I got all the same channels minus the TBS and WGN. Plus a Mexican channel which sometimes runs new movies with English on the secondary audio program. PBS now has four channels over the air locally. Was paying like $16 a month. Only negative is that cars driving by can interfere with some of the channels.

I live too far out in the country. I would have to put a giant antenna on my house to get any air channels and that ain't happening.

 

[angelatc]

PBS now has four channels over the air locally.

Thank God for government subsidies