YouTube TV simply copied DirecTV and it may very well be a win on your pockets

YouTube TV is arguably probably the most fashionable stay TV streaming platforms within the US, with an estimated 9.4 million subscribers. Nonetheless, though many individuals are concerned about turning into cord-cutters and utilizing a service like YouTube TV, price stays a major barrier. When it launched in 2017, YouTube TV price $35 monthly. In 2025, that price has increased to $83 monthly. Now, it appears YouTube TV is able to partially deal with this challenge.

In a current blog post, YouTube TV introduced it’ll launch “YouTube TV Plans” in early 2026, permitting customers to subscribe to channel packages based mostly on completely different genres. The Google-owned streaming service did not share pricing particulars, and general, the announcement was fairly obscure, however YouTube TV did verify it’ll provide greater than 10 genre-specific packages.

“TV ought to be straightforward, giving viewers larger management over what they wish to watch. Our purpose is to allow you to tailor your subscription with extra choices,” YouTube TV stated in a weblog put up. “Whether or not you keep on with our fundamental YouTube TV plan with 100+ channels, deal with sports activities, mix sports activities and information, or choose a plan centered on household and leisure content material, subscribers will be capable of simply select the plan that works finest for them.”

YouTube TV is taking a web page from DirecTV’s playbook

One in all YouTube TV’s packages will focus solely on sports activities

Credit score: DirecTV / Pocket-lint

Whereas YouTube TV’s announcement is skinny on particulars, it did verify that it’ll launch a “YouTube TV Sports activities Plan” within the new 12 months, that includes sports activities networks like FS1, NBC Sports activities Community, all ESPN channels, and ESPN Limitless.

As somebody who follows the TV scene fairly extensively, YouTube TV’s future genre-specific plans remind me of what DirecTV already gives. Earlier this 12 months, DirecTV launched what it calls Genre Packs, which let customers join channel bundles based mostly on particular genres at a decrease price than subscribing to certainly one of its fundamental signature bundle plans, which embody a bunch extra channels.

DirecTV gives a number of completely different Style Packs, with the large three being MyEntertainment, MyNews, and MySports. For instance, its MySports bundle gives over 20 sports-focused channels, together with ESPN, CBS Sports activities, Fox Sports activities, TNT, and TBS, and prices $70 a month. That is $13 cheaper than YouTube TV’s present base plan.

Presently, whenever you join YouTube TV, you are subscribing to its all-in-one bundle, which incorporates each channel the service gives. Which means even should you solely desire a handful of channels, you continue to pay for a lot of you will by no means watch. YouTube TV’s new genre-specific plans appear designed to repair this. But it is onerous to not discover the irony: YouTube TV is beginning to resemble the normal cable mannequin it was initially meant to switch.

After all, the large query right here is value. YouTube TV did not reveal how a lot these new plans will price, saying solely that it goals to supply “extra alternative and adaptability.” If these plans find yourself being considerably cheaper than the present $83-per-month fundamental plan, lots of people may very well have an interest. I do know loads of individuals who watch solely leisure channels on TV and have zero curiosity in sports activities. Conversely, I do know different individuals who watch nothing however sports activities on conventional TV and depend on Netflix or Disney+ for the whole lot else — which is why I feel these new genre-based plans might entice actual curiosity.

YouTube TV says its new genre-specific plans will launch “early subsequent 12 months,” so full particulars on the packages, genres, and pricing will seemingly be revealed then.