YouTube TV Goes National

Following a two-year test in just six markets, YouTube TV is now national. Starting today, the cable-free live TV streamer rolls out to 95 markets, reaching 98 percent of American households. The service is expected to be available to remaining households in the near future.

This is big news for cord-cutters, as YouTube TV offers live TV from more than 60 content providers, plus local channels and sports without a cable box starting at $40 a month. The service also includes six accounts per household, with unlimited cloud-based DVR.

This puts kid-centric live channels such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, and Universal Kids on nearly any device with a YouTube TV app.

Additionally, YouTube TV is offered with no commitment required. That alone could draw more consumers into the new world of streaming. This news follows Viacom’s acquisition of free live TV streamer, Pluto TV, as more companies stake their claim to evolving platforms.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.