Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users appear next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo.
Dado Ruvic | Reuters
Google announced a price increase for its YouTube TV subscription on Thursday. It will rise from $65 per month to $73 per month starting in April, according to an email sent to subscribers on Thursday.
YouTube TV is Google’s cable replacement. It provides access to live TV and cable channels, delivered via an internet connection.
“As content costs have risen and we continue to invest in the quality of our service, we are updating our pricing to continue to provide you with the best possible service,” the company said in the email to subscribers.
Google’s move to raise the price of its wireless subscription for cord cutters comes after several competing online streaming services have also raised the amount they charge, including services from Disney, Apple and HBO.
In December, YouTube TV secured the rights to the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” package, which allows it to sell a bundle of out-of-market NFL games not broadcast on local TV to subscribers around the country.
YouTube will pay about $2 billion a year for the package, CNBC reported, which had several other bidders including Apple and Disney. Google hasn’t announced the price of its “Sunday Ticket” package, but it cost $80 a month under its previous owner, DirecTV.
Google will also drop the price of an add-on to access higher-resolution 4K streams from $20 per month to $10 per month, according to the email.