Pros
- More popular channels than any competitor
- Superb cloud DVR
- Excellent on-screen interface and handy search bar
Cons
- $10 upgrade doesn't include much 4K content
Editors' Note: Although competition among cord-free live TV streaming platforms has gotten stiffer during the past year due to pricing, mergers, channel lineups and carriage disputes, YouTube TV remains a front-runner as a premium service. We like its interface, reliability and its channel roster (despite therecent feud with Disney) compared to its rivals, which is why we're giving it a CNET Editors' Choice award in 2025.
YouTube TV has solidified its reputation as one of the bestlive TV streaming services available. The Google-owned platform features an extensive array of channels and is known for its easy-to-navigate user experience. These are important details to highlight, considering the fact that the streamer has steadily increased its price over the years. It now costs $83 a month, which is more than twice its original cost. It may feel like the overall value of the service isn't as clear-cut as it once was, but its price is lower than its closest rival,Hulu Plus Live TV.
YouTube TV's main strength for cord-cutters is its sheer number of channels. It now offers 78 of the top 100 networks, the most of any streaming service, a count that includes numerous cable staples plus all four local networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — and local PBS stations nationwide.
Beyond channels, YouTube TV is easy to use: It's slick and speedy on a variety of TVs and mobile devices. Its cloud DVR is also one of the best, with unlimited storage and pretty much all the capabilities of a hardware DVR. The service also offers a 4K streaming upgrade — for an additional $10 monthly — which, importantly, includes unlimited simultaneous streams and downloadable DVR recordings.
The big snag is the…