The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
YouTube TV cable alternative now available in Atlanta, 9 new markets
Subscription streaming service meant to appeal to younger consumers.
YouTube TV, the video-sharing site’s subscription streaming bundle featuring popular network and cable channels, is now available in 10 new markets, the company announced.
The additional metro areas include Washington, D.C.; Houston; Atlanta; Phoenix; Detroit; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Miami-Ft. Lauderdale; Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne; Charlotte, N.C.; and Dallas-Fort Worth.
YouTube TV subscriptions cost $35 per month, giving members access to live local feeds from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, as well as about 40 cable networks including ESPN and AMC and local sports from NBC Sports and Fox Sports.
The service is aimed to appeal to younger people who spend more time watching online videos on their devices than traditional television.
Consumers 18 to 34 years old now spend more time on average per week on their smartphones (19 hours, 39 minutes) than watching TV (19 hours, 18 minutes), according to Nielsen’s Comparable Metrics Report for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Atlanta-based Cox Communications, a division of Cox Media Group which also owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, didn’t seem surprised by the announcement.
“It’s great for consumers to have choices, but it’s hard to beat the value and convenience of the cable bundle by assembling your own with various providers,” said spokesman Todd Smith. “For example, right now, Cox offers broadband, a comprehensive TV package with voice remote and phone for $89.”
The YouTube service launched in April and has been available in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia and Chicago.
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced the expansion in June at this year’s VidCon conference in Anaheim. She also introduced new mobile and virtual reality capabilities for the site, including VR 180, a format aimed at making it easier and cheaper for YouTube creators to shoot VR video.