YouTube TV has increased the price of a monthly subscription once again and is on the receiving end of a backlash as a result.
In a move that they hope will satisfy any existing or future customers, YouTube has also added eight new ViacomCBS channels to their streaming service.
The Google subsidiary announced on Tuesday (June 30) that the changes would start immediately.
How much will YouTubeTV now be charging?
YouTube TV had been charging $50 a month for their service, but that’s now jumped to $64.99. All new customers should expect to pay the new rate, and existing customers will see the extra $15 appear on their next bill.
This increase marks the latest price hike for the online TV service, which started at a monthly subscription rate of $35 when it was first released in April 2017.
In early 2018 the price was hiked up to $40 with a further $10 added last April.
YouTube TV suggested on Twitter and in an online blog that the price hike was necessary to continue to bring their customers the “best possible service.”
The service already includes 80 TV channels and, as of the end of 2019, had 2 million subscribers. They have also added BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1 to their services.
However, the company also stated that it understands if subscribers wish to pause or cancel their membership.
It said: “We don’t take these decisions lightly and realize how hard this is for our members.”
YouTubeTV faces a customer backlash
YouTubeTV was initially a cheaper alternative to regular cable TV. As a result, they now face backlash from consumers, claiming that they no longer represent value for money.
One Twitter user wrote: “You’ve destroyed your unique value proposition with this. YTTV was a cheaper alternative to cable without paying for hundreds of garbage channels you don’t watch.”
Another suggested that the price hike was a “bold move” as there are currently no sports, and people have less money.
Social media producer Paul Leary called YouTube’s parent company Google one of the most powerful corporations in the world and questioned why they were copying the failed strategy of traditional cable companies.
Other complaints involved customers wondering why they were justifying the hike by adding channels that people don’t want and why the company felt that a raise was ethical during a global pandemic.
In other YouTube related news, Jenna Marbles announced she was quitting the streaming platform after fans discovered the influencer posted videos of herself wearing blackface in a comedy sketch imitating Nicki Minaj.
Earlier last month that the star-studded Dear Class of 2020 YouTube graduation event was postponed following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as a mark of respect to his family.