YouTube TV’s price hike in March led many to question if live streaming services would just end up like cable. Thanks to a new report, we have a good idea of exactly how much the average American pays for live television, and how YouTube TV stacks up.
According to a report from Leichtman Research Group, the average live TV bill is now $112.70 a month. That figure, which includes like cable TV companies Comcast and Spectrum, satellite providers like Dish Network and live streaming services like YouTube TV, is up 5% from 2018. It’s not a huge surprise that we’re all paying more.
But even if YouTube TV contributed to that rise, the service itself could help you beat that average — and handily. A year’s worth of pay TV services at that average rate would cost $1,352.40. A year of YouTube TV at the new rate would cost $875.88. Based on that average, YouTube TV would save you $39.71 a month, or $476.52 for the year.
Over three years, that could add up to over $1,428 in savings compared to paying what the average American pays.
Keep in mind that average price isn’t affixed to any one service, but is an amalgamation of different types of plans. But given how much lower YouTube TV is, it stands to reason that there are cable and satellite offerings that are even more expensive.
Increaslying its important to look at the fees on cable TV. Earlier this year, Comcast raised the price of its Broadcast TV fee to $31.25 a month on top of the advertised price. Not only that, but you will also find in many areas a $9.10 RSN fee.
This means Comcast is adding $40.31 to many of its TV packages on top of the advertised price. So that $70 Poplar TV package that offers 125+ channels will now cost you over $110 a month once they add in the RSN and broadest TV fee.
With potential for big savings, you can see why more Americans than ever are ditching higher cable TV prices and becoming cord cutters.