YouTube TV teases slimmed-down streaming bundles for 2026
Image: Jared Newman / Foundry
YouTube TV is about to get skinny—that is, it’s set to add skinny bundles of live streaming TV channels next year, including a sports package with every ESPN network.
More than 10 of these “genre-specific” bundles are coming to YouTube TV next year, but for now, YouTube is only revealing a few details about the sports bundle, and nothing about the other upcoming channel packages or pricing information.
Aside from ESPN, ESPN Unlimited and the other ESPN channels, the YouTube TV Sports Plan will boast such networks as FS1 and the NBC Sports Network.
Subscribers will be able to choose add-ons such as NFL Sunday Ticket and RedZone, just as they can with the YouTube TV Base Plan, and YouTube TV functionality like unlimited DVR usage, multiview, key plays, and fantasy view will be on tap as well.
“TV should be easy, giving viewers greater control over what they want to watch. Our goal is to let you tailor your subscription with more options,” said YouTube TV subscriptions exec Christian Oestlien in a statement. “Whether you stick with our main YouTube TV plan with 100+ channels, focus on sports, combine sports and news, or select a plan centered on family and entertainment content, subscribers will be able to easily choose the plan that works best for them.”
More details about YouTube TV’s slimmed-down packages are coming “soon,” Oestlien promised, adding that “we have a lot in store for YouTube TV members next year.”
But while YouTube TV hasn’t given any pricing details about its upcoming skinny bundles, they’re sure to be cheaper than the price of the YouTube TV base plan, which costs $82.99 a month.
YouTube TV’s move into the skinny bundle business comes as skinny and cheaper streaming bundles are rising in popularity. DirecTV, Fubo, and Sling all offer their own slimmed-down packages with various combinations of local TV channels, sports networks, news channels, and entertainment, allowing users to pick and choose which channel bundles they want to pay for.
Making an even bigger splash was the launch this past summer of ESPN Unlimited, which packs in all of ESPN’s sports networks in packages starting at $30 a month, while Fox unveiled its Fox One bundle of sports, news, and entertainment channels around the same time.
Another skinny sports bundled that never got off the ground was Venu Sports, a venture from Disney, Fox, and Warner Brothers that would have bundled ESPN, FS1, BTN, TNT, TBS, and other top sports networks.
Venu faced serious legal headwinds, including a lawsuit from Fubo and a federal injunction, leading the bundles backers to eventually kill the nascent sports bundle before it went on the air.
This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best live TV streaming services.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben’s articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men’s Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master’s degree in English literature.
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