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YouTube TV gets more channels and a price hike

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CIOL Writers
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Youtube makes live streaming even more easier for desktop and mobile users

YouTube TV is adding new channels from Turner network, including TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, CNN, Turner Classic Movies, National Basketball League, Major League Baseball network and a few others. But all this is coming with a price hike.

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Starting March 13th, YouTube TV’s monthly subscription cost will rise from $35 to $40. All customers who join the service prior to the 13th will be able to keep the lower $35 monthly rate going forward.

According to YouTube's Heather Moosnick, the decision to add channels and raise the price is a result of a balance between content and price that the company has been paying attention to since YouTube TV launched. "We've looked at both qualitative and quantitive info to understand what is the perfect package for our users, the vast majority of whom otherwise stopped watching live TV," she said. "Live sports was a key driver in terms of getting new users interested and subscribing to ."

When Google launched YouTube TV last April it was cautious with how much content it was offering so that it could keep the price low enough to entice cord cutters or people considering cutting the cord, Moosnick said.

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At launch YouTube TV offered almost 50 channels in five markets. With these additions, YouTube TV will have almost 60 channels, and be in 100 markets, Moosnick said.

The timing of this expansion is no accident; the NBA All-Star game is taking place this Sunday, while the NCAA basketball tournaments are only a few weeks away. But even non-sports fans will probably find something to like in this expansion, which gives YouTube TV a comparable channel lineup to competitive services from Hulu and Sony.

YouTube claims its TV service is now available in the top 100 US markets and over 85 percent of US households. The service is still not available in India.

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