The monthly YouTube TV subscription fee is going up to $49.99. And it will be even higher for those who pay for this streaming video service via the Apple App Store.
This is apparently YouTube’s way of partially offsetting the cut Apple takes from all subscription fees. And it’s something other companies might emulate.
Pay more, get more YouTube TV
YouTube TV is aimed at people looking for a cheaper alternative to a cable subscription. It offers a bundle of 70+ live TV channels
The rate hike is coming with additional content. The service is adding Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, ID, MotorTrend, TLC and Travel Channel, according to Variety.
Even so, the fee increase is relatively substantial. Before this change, the premium streaming video service cost $35 or $40. depending on when a subscriber first joined. After May 13, everyone will pay $50. Well, not quite everyone.
Apple users asked to pay even more
Anyone who pays for a YouTube TV subscription through the App Store will have to cough up an additional $5 a month. While the definite reason for this hasn’t been spelled out, it’s almost certainly because Apple takes a substantial cut from these fees.
During the first year of a subscription, the iPhone maker takes 30 percent off the top. After that, the cut is 15 percent.
This doesn’t endear Apple to companies that make their money through these subscription fees. Video streaming service Netflix recently stopped allowing new subscriptions though the App Store. Music streaming service Spotify has complained about the practice to the EU.
Charging extra for funneling subscriptions through Apple might become a common practice. If so, consumers should remember that they don’t have to use the App Store for subscriptions. They can signup for services directly from the companies that provide them. This isn’t always as easy, but it might become cheaper.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
