In spite of often being referred to as add-ons, many of YouTube TV’s premium networks can be subscribed to on their own and without signing up to the base plan. This isn’t the case for every add-on offered by the live TV streaming service, but it is for most, and can be a good way to expand a home’s streaming service setup.
The standard YouTube TV base plan is priced at $64.99 per month and this subscription provides access to more than 85 live TV channels. There is also a Spanish Plan available, which provides access to more than 25 Spanish networks for $35 per month. Once signed up to either of these plans, subscribers get access to additional features and benefits, including the ability to bundle additional add-ons to their base subscription at an additional monthly cost.
However, many of the add-ons available through YouTube TV don’t actually require the consumer to have signed up to a base plan. Instead, the individual can simply head over to the YouTube TV website, sign in, add any eligible premium network add-on they want, and confirm the subscription. Whether a subscriber to the base plan or not, the cost of these premium network add-ons is exactly the same.
YouTube TV offers a variety of add-ons, and while some do require a base subscription, most don’t. Here’s the full list of add-ons that consumers can sign up to without a YouTube TV base plan:
- Acorn TV
- ALLBLK
- AMC+
- Cinemax
- Comedy Dynamics
- CONtv
- Curiosity Stream
- Docurama
- Dove
- Epix
- Fandor
- Fox Nation
- Hallmark Movies Now
- HBO Max
- IFC Films Unlimited
- Law & Crime
- MLB.tv
- NBA League Pass
- Outside TV Features
- Pantaya
- Screambox
- ScreenPix
- Showtime
- Shudder
- Starz
- Sundance Now
- The Great Courses
- Up Faith & Family
- VSiN
Benefits of subscribing through YouTube TV
To be clear, subscriptions to most of these streaming services don’t require a live TV plan in general. Consumers can simply head over to the respective service’s website and sign up that way. What’s more, they don’t tend to be any cheaper when signing up through YouTube TV either. Of course, if already an existing YouTube TV subscriber, then it can be beneficial to add additional services to the plan for easier management and combined billing. Even for those without a base plan, there are reasons to consider signing up to a premium network through YouTube TV.
For starters, the billing for services through YouTube TV is all handled by Google. Providing the consumer already has a Google account set up and a payment method linked to the account, there’s no need to set up a subscription directly through the service. This omits the need to create an additional account, remember another password, or provide credit or debit card details on another website. Considering YouTube TV offers TV Everywhere support for many of these networks, add-on subscribers will likely find that they can use their Google account details to log in to the websites and apps for the networks they subscribe to.
Another potential benefit is the free trial. Most streaming services offer a free trial, but once used, there’s not usually an option to take advantage of another free trial at a later time. If signing up through YouTube TV, it won’t matter if the subscriber previously had a free trial with a service. Basically, it is another way to get a free trial and test out a service before having to pay. In some cases, it can be a way to get a free trial to a service that currently doesn’t offer one. A prime example of this is HBO Max. While HBO Max used to offer a free trial, it no longer does. HBO Max through YouTube TV, however, comes with a seven-day free trial.
YouTube TV add-ons summary
YouTube TV offers a number of premium network add-ons that can be bundled with a live TV subscription. However, many of these same add-ons don’t actually remote a subscription to the base plan, making it possible for consumers to sign up regardless of whether they are paying for the main live TV service.
Even if not signed up to a live TV plan through YouTube TV, there are still a number of reasons to consider signing up to the standalone add-ons. These include the option to pay for a streaming service using an existing Google account and payment method, as well as the ability to take advantage of a free trial that might not be available if signing up directly through the streaming service.
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