YouTube Premium and YouTube TV fall under the YouTube umbrella, but that's just about where the overlap ends. They offer different services that cater to different interests.
YouTube Premium, formerly known as YouTube Red, adds to your everyday YouTube experience, while YouTube TV is a dedicated live TV streaming service.
Let's go a bit deeper into what the two offer and if they're worth getting.
What Does YouTube Premium Offer?
A YouTube Premium subscription gives you access to a bunch of useful features. Most importantly, you get to watch YouTube videos with no ads. Though, if the content creator you're watching has a paid sponsorship, YouTube Premium won't remove it as it only removes the ads that YouTube places in the video.
You can also watch videos in the background while on a different app. Videos will also continue to play even when your phone is locked. So if you want to listen to a video in the background, you can lock your phone, and you'll still be able to enjoy the sound. On top of that, you can also download YouTube videos and watch them on your phone while you're offline.
You also get access to YouTube Music, and YouTube Music Premium follows the same perks. It comes with zero ads, it's playable on a locked device, and videos are available for download to enjoy offline.
If you get a YouTube Premium subscription, you can also access YouTube Originals. That means you can watch a slew of movies, shows, documentaries, and features of every type and across any genre.
What Does YouTube TV Offer?
With YouTube TV, you can stream live TV and enjoy various cable channels.
You can stream live broadcasts from around 90 channels that cover a wide array of interests. There's news, entertainment and lifestyle, sports, and more.
You'll also find broadcasts from all major networks like NBC, ESPN, FOX, CBS, BBC America, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, National Geographic, Food Network, and HGTV.
YouTube TV also gives you access to YouTube Originals.
It's an excellent choice if you're considering cutting your cable and only using streaming services to consume media.
How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost?
YouTube Premium sets you back $11.99/month. That's an excellent price when you consider you get access to uninterrupted video watching, YouTube Music, and YouTube Originals.
Currently, YouTube is testing out a YouTube Premium Lite subscription in Europe for €6.99/month, which only works to remove YouTube ads. So, if you don't care about any of the other perks and only want to get rid of disruptive YouTube ads, when the feature gets released worldwide, it's an even cheaper option.
How Much Does YouTube TV Cost?
A YouTube TV subscription begins at $64.99/month, with first-time users having up to seven days to enjoy the service at no cost.
If the number seems a bit steep, here's some context: Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV, who offer similar services and perks, also start at $64.99/month. So, in actuality, YouTube TV offers a competitive price.
That base number can increase, though, since you can choose to subscribe to certain channels, which cost extra. Popular channels people decide to add to their YouTube TV subscription include CuriosityStream, which costs $2.99/month, and Acorn TV, at $6/month.
There's also a couple of bundles you can include in your monthly subscription. There's a bundle called Entertainment Plus, which offers HBO Max, STARZ, and SHOWTIME for an additional $29.99/month.
The other bundle, Sports Plus, revolves around sports. This gives you NFL RedZone, Stadium College Sports, GOLTV, FOX Soccer Plus, MAVTV Motorsports Network, TVG / TVG2, and Stadium, for an extra $10.99/month.
What Devices Do YouTube Premium and YouTube TV Support?
YouTube Premium supports every device that YouTube does. That includes web and mobile, along with all the related YouTube apps: YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming, and YouTube Kids.
YouTube TV can be accessed on the web, on smartphones and tablets, smart displays (like the Google Nest Hub), streaming media players (like Chromecast and Apple TV), and smart TVs. You can even get it on game consoles, including the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Is It Worth Buying YouTube Premium or YouTube TV?
YouTube Premium is an affordable subscription with many perks. It's certainly worth it, even just to avoid watching annoying YouTube ads. For what you're getting, YouTube Premium is worth the investment, especially if you're an avid YouTube watcher.
YouTube TV is a slightly different story. Though its price is certainly competitive with other live TV streaming services, it's still a hefty price tag.
Many cable companies offer cheaper options that grant you access to more channels. However, if you're set on cutting your cable and moving over to solely using streaming services, then YouTube TV is definitely worth considering.
Ultimately, both services have their merits. It depends on whether you're looking to enhance your YouTube experience (in which case, get YouTube Premium) or if you want access to a whole new range of content (in which case, get YouTube TV.)
Which Is Better: YouTube Premium or YouTube TV?
If you're used to using streaming services to entertain yourself, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, and you don't even remember the last time you watched cable, then YouTube Premium will do you more good than YouTube TV.
But if it's the other way around, and you spend most of your free time enjoying cable and its myriad of channels, then YouTube TV warrants a look.
You might want to do some research beforehand and see which channels from its roster are ones you actually watch. And, if you find some of the ones that are a must-have for you missing from the base package, you should look into the bundles and add-ons YouTube TV offers.
Then, make some calculations to see the total price and whether it fits in your budget. As everyone has learned from cable companies, adding channels and bundles on top of your base cost can add up.