YouTube TV service officially launches in five US cities for $35 a month

Less than two months after it was first announced, Google has now flipped the switch on YouTube TV. The online television service will offer subscribers access to at least 50 broadcast and cable networks for $35 a month. The service has launched first in the top five metro areas in the US; New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Philadelphia. More US cities will be added in the near future.

The service offers access to live TV from broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX along with cable channels like FX, USA, Disney Channel and many more. You can spend some extra money to add premium networks like Showtime for $11 a month and Fox Soccer Plus for $15 a month. More networks will be added in the coming months to the standard subscription fee, including AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv, and BBC World News. Other channels, like Sundance Now and Shudder, will also be available soon for an additional fee.

YouTube TV also offers subscribers access to its cloud DVR feature, which allows users to record and store as many shows as they want, with no storage limits. The recordings can be kept for up to nine months. Subscribers also can access all of the company’s YouTube Red original shows.

YouTube TV will support up to six accounts for each paid subscription and each household can handle up to three concurrent streams at one time. Google is offering a free one-month trial for YouTube TV and it is also offering to give subscribers a free Chromecast device after their first monthly payment. The service can be accessed on the web and on Android and iOS devices.

YouTube TV is launching in the already crowded market of online TV services. Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and more recently DirecTV Now are already online, and Hulu plans to launch a similar service later this year as well. Recently, unconfirmed rumors claimed Verizon is also planning to launch an online TV service sometime this summer. Do you think that Google has what it takes to compete in this space? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.