Slashdot Mirror
YouTube TV Is Adding More Channels, But It's Also Getting More Expensive (theverge.com)
YouTube's internet TV streaming service is expanding its programming with the addition of several Turner networks including TBS, TNT, CNN, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, truTV, and Turner Classic Movies. YouTube TV is also bringing NBA TV and MLB Network to the base lineup. NBA All Access and MLB.TV will be offered as optional paid add-ons "in the coming months." The downside? The price of the service is going up. The Verge reports: 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. And if you've been waiting for YouTube to add Viacom channels, that still hasn't happened yet. Hopefully these jumps in subscription cost won't happen very often. Otherwise these internet TV businesses might suddenly start feeling more like cable (and not in a good way). The Verge also mentions that YouTube TV is adding a bunch of new markets including: Lexington, Dayton, Honolulu, El Paso, Burlington, Plattsburgh, Richmond, Petersburg, Mobile, Syracuse, Champaign, Springfield, Columbia, Charleston, Harlingen, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton.
I've got a hunch there are some channels that they get paid to place in the lineup. If so, letting you drop those would actually hurt their bottom line. Then there are channels that cost them so much that they simply must charge everyone for them or they would not be able to offer them to those that do want them, due to costs.
Twelve or so years ago my buddy set up a SMATV headend for a new prison (rack mounted, one DirecTV receiver for each channel on the system) and I got to see the price breakdown. ESPN was far and away the highest priced channel, by about a 4:1 ratio. Also, in that case the total monthly charge for a channel was based on the number of beds, not displays. In other words, an eyeball based fee.
IoT may bring that fee schedule to us, instead of Dad yelling about the lights or the thermostat or the mobile phone bill it will be "Don't look at the TV!"
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
Did you miss the part where they're optional paid add-ons?
Why don't you read what I quoted again, and the channels listed very carefully.