Gone are the days when you need an expensive cable subscription to watch live TV. Now you can stream sports, news, and shows through the internet, with no messy installations. One such service that offers this is YouTube TV.

If you want to give YouTube TV a whirl, you should sign up for the free trial. We're going to show you how to do that, along with explaining what it costs afterward for a paid subscription.

What Is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is an internet subscription service available nationwide in the US that lets you watch national and local TV. It includes over 100 channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, with others like Showtime and STARZ available for an additional cost.

There are no contracts or hidden fees; it works like a subscription to Netflix or Hulu does, and you can cancel at any time. You get an unlimited amount of cloud DVR storage, six individual accounts, and three simultaneous streams. It's available on TVs, game consoles, phones, streaming sticks, and a variety of other devices.

For more information, see our guide on everything you need to know about YouTube TV.

How Much Does YouTube TV Cost?

YouTube TV offers two plans: Base and Spanish. The plan you choose will depend on what type of content you want to view and how much you wish to spend.

There's no annual contract or installation fee for either plan.

How Much Is YouTube TV's Base Plan?

YouTube TV costs $72.99/month for the Base plan. This grants you access to over 100 live channels, though the exact selection depends on your region. Some of the base channels are AMC, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and PBS, and sports networks like NFL Network, NBA TV, and ESPN.

You can purchase individual premium channels like AMC+, Cinemax, Max, and Shudder. Prices for these typically range from $5 to $40/month. There's also a Sports Plus add-on that costs $10.99/month and includes Fox Soccer Plus, NFL RedZone, Fight Network, and others.

The 4K Plus add-on costs $9.99/month. This gives you 4K playback where available, unlimited concurrent streams at home (rather than three), and offline DVR viewing on mobile.

If you want to watch Spanish content, the Base plan comes with Telemundo. To gain access to an additional 30 Spanish networks, the Spanish Plus add-on costs $14.99/month. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the separate Spanish plan, which offers a different selection of networks—we'll explain this more below.

YouTube is also the exclusive provider of NFL Sunday Ticket. While promoted on the YouTube TV homepage, it's essentially a separate service, though you can bundle the two together. For more details, see YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket page.

How Much Is YouTube TV's Spanish Plan?

If you're only interested in Spanish content, YouTube TV offers a separate Spanish plan that costs $34.99/month.

It features 32 Spanish networks like Cine Mexicano, Cine Latino, and Univision, streaming telenovelas, movies, live sports, and more. This is a wider and different selection of channels than you get through the Base plan's Spanish Plus add-on.

Like the Base plan, the Spanish plan also includes unlimited DVR space and six accounts to share with others.

How to Get a Free Trial to YouTube TV

As standard, YouTube TV offers a seven-day free trial, but this is often extended during a promotional period—in the past, YouTube has offered trial periods of 14 and 30 days. The free trial is only available if you're new to YouTube TV and haven't used a free trial before.

The free trial grants you full access to the service, including the ability to record programs and invite your household. You can also trial premium channels and add-on packages, though the duration of these may vary from the core plan.

youtube tv web homepage

To claim your free trial, complete the following process on your desktop or mobile:

  1. Head to the YouTube TV homepage.
  2. Click the Try It Free button.
  3. Log in to your Google account.
  4. Enter your ZIP code and select Next.
  5. Review all the channels included in the base package in your area, then select Next.
  6. Select the premium add-ons you wish to include, then select Next.
  7. Finally, confirm the details of your subscription, enter your billing details, and select Start Trial. You won't be charged for the trial, but you will be charged afterward if you don't cancel.

When your trial begins, YouTube will charge a small amount to your payment method to verify that it's active. Once the authorization is successful, this money will be refunded—the exact time that takes depends on your bank.

How to Check Your YouTube TV Trial Length

If you forget how long your free trial is, it's easy to check. Open the YouTube TV app, select your profile picture in the top-right corner, and navigate to Settings > Membership.

What Happens at the End of the YouTube TV Trial?

Once your subscription ends, you will automatically become a paid member at the plan's full monthly rate. Again, the cost varies depending on any active promotion. Currently, the post-trial cost for the first three months is $64.99/month for the Base plan and $34.99/month for the Spanish plan.

Can You Cancel the YouTube TV Trial?

If you decide the service isn't for you, you can cancel YouTube TV at any time during your trial or subscription. However, if you're still in the trial period then you will lose access to the service (and any add-ons) immediately, so you may want to time your cancelation until a day before renewal.

Is YouTube TV Right for You?

YouTube TV isn't cheap, but it's certainly not as expensive as traditional cable. If want to enjoy a range of live TV channels that you can record and watch back at any time, YouTube TV is an excellent choice. Besides, now you know how to sign up for the free trial, so you can test out the service and see if it's suitable before you hand over any money.

Alternatively, perhaps you'll get more from YouTube Premium. This is a separate subscription service that offers downloads, background play, and no ads for the standard YouTube service.