YouTube TV vs. Fubo: Which Should You Choose?
If you’re looking to cut the cord, you may consider live TV streaming providers like Fubo and YouTube TV. If your decision is down to these two, I’m here to help you out. I’ve used both services for years and can walk you through the pros and cons of each.
Streaming Smarter says: Although I don’t recommend either service, YouTube TV is the better choice here. The channel lineup is higher quality and the price is better. If you need a regional sports network, Fubo may be the better selection.
Winner on Price: YouTube TV
YouTube TV starts at $82.99/month without add-ons.
Fubo has an inexpensive “Sports + News” plan that starts at $55.99/month, but it’s not available in all areas. Fubo purposely conceals the true cost of their streaming service when it comes to the “Pro” and “Elite” levels. As you reach the checkout screen, you’ll find a hidden “regional sports fee” that inflates the cost by about $13-16/month. This means the true monthly cost of Fubo starts at $100.98. Fubo usually discounts the first month, however.
Winner on Overall Channels: YouTube TV
YouTube TV has 78 out of the 100 most-watched TV channels, which tops Fubo’s 60.
Other than those exceptions, both services have identical lineups among the top 100 TV channels.
See the full channel lists in our Fubo and YouTube TV complete reviews.
Winner on Local Channels: Draw
Both services offer ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, the CW. YouTube TV offers PBS if that tips the balance for you. Note that Fubo Sports + News does not have NBC but the higher tiers do.
Winner on Sports Channels: Fubo
Fubo was created to cater to sports fans, so it makes sens it would win this round. Although Fubo wins on sports-exclusive channels, there are some important sports-related channels it doesn’t carry: TNT, TBS, and truTV.
| Channel | Fubo | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | Yes | Yes |
| ESPN2 | Yes | Yes |
| ESPNEWS | Yes* | Yes |
| ESPNU | Yes* | Yes |
| FS1 | Yes | Yes |
| FS2 | Yes | Yes |
| CBS Sports Network | Yes | Yes |
| NBA TV | Yes | Yes |
| NFL Network | Yes | Yes |
| NFL RedZone | Yes* | Yes* |
| MLB Network | Yes* | No |
| MLB Strike Zone | Yes* | No |
| NHL Network | Yes* | No |
| Tennis Channel | Yes* | Yes* |
| Golf Channel | Yes | Yes |
| ACC Network | Yes | Yes |
| Big Ten Network | Yes | Yes |
| SEC Network | Yes | Yes |
* May require an additional fee
Winner on Regional Sports Channels: Fubo
Fubo destroys YouTube TV in this category. Fubo has a huge regional sports lineup. YouTube TV only offers 4 regional sports networks.
| Channel | Fubo | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude Sports | Yes | No |
| Chicago Sports Network | Yes | No |
| CleGuardians.TV | Yes | No |
| DBacks.TV | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Detroit | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Florida | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Great Lakes | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Midwest | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports North | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Ohio | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Oklahoma | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports SoCal | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports South | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Southeast | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Southwest | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Sun | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports West | Yes | No |
| FanDuel Sports Wisconsin | Yes | No |
| MASN | Yes | No |
| MSG | Yes | No |
| MSG Sportsnet | Yes | No |
| Marquee Sports Network | Yes | No |
| Monumental Sports Network | No | No |
| NBC Sports Bay Area | Yes | Yes |
| NBC Sports Boston | Yes | Yes |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia | Yes | Yes |
| NBC Sports California | Yes | Yes |
| NESN | Yes | No |
| Padres.TV | Yes | No |
| ROOT SPORTS Northwest | Yes | No |
| Rangers Sports Network | Yes | No |
| Rockies.TV | Yes | No |
| SNY | No | No |
| Space City Home Network | Yes | No |
| Spectrum SportsNet | No | No |
| Spectrum SportsNet LA | No | No |
| SportsNet Pittsburgh | Yes | No |
| Twins.TV | Yes | No |
| YES Network | Yes | No |
Major Differences
Bonus Services
Subscribers to Fubo get free access to ESPN Unlimited. If you have the Sports + News lineup, you can even access those ESPN sports within the Fubo app. YouTube TV does not currently include access to ESPN Unlimited.
Both Fubo and YouTube TV allow you to log into FOX One with your credentials.
YouTube TV: NFL Sunday Ticket Discount
NFL Sunday Ticket is the league’s solution for out-of-market games. When you sign up, you’ll have access to every out-of-market game that airs on Sunday afternoons. It is incredibly expensive, but YouTube TV subscribers get it at a slight discount.
YouTube TV subscribers can get NFL Sunday Ticket for $378 (or 12 payments of $31.50).
If you don’t have YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket is $480 (or 12 payments of $40).
$85/mo.
Comparing Features
Both services offer an unlimited cloud DVR that can store your recordings up to 9 months.
YouTube TV offers some 4K broadcasts, but you have to pay $9.99/month after a discounted trial.
Fubo includes 4K in its Elite Plan ($110.98).
YouTube TV allows users to watch up to 4 channels at once, though the channels are decided by YouTube TV. This feature will receive upgrades later this year.
Fubo allows a fully customizable multiview on Apple TV and some Roku devices. When I tested this over several months, multiview had a nasty habit of crashing, but I loved it when it worked. You can choose to watch 2, 3, or 4 channels at once.
YouTube TV is the only service that allows you to rearrange your channels as you like. I enjoy kicking worthless channels out of my lineup, allowing me to focus on what I want to watch.
YouTube TV allows 3 simultaneous streams. If you add the 4K Plus add-on ($9.99), you’ll get unlimited streams on your home network.
All Fubo plans allow streaming from 10 devices on your home network plus 3 streams outside the home on mobile devices or web browsers.
Conclusion: Why YouTube TV Should Be Your Choice
To be completely honest, I’m frustrated with both of these streaming services because they have a lot of self-inflicted problems.
YouTube TV keeps cranking up its price without adding channels or features. It only offers one main channel plan, so you’ll probably pay for lots of channels you don’t want. Most YouTube TV subscribers would be better off with DIRECTV (more channels and price levels), Sling TV (better pricing options and smaller channel bundles), or Hulu + Live TV (free Disney+, ESPN Unlimited, and Hulu on-demand).
Fubo frustrates me whenever I sign up. The lack of price transparency on its sign-up pages is the first hurdle. Fubo also switches the length of its free trial at random. Sometimes it’s just one day, which is hardly long enough to give it a thorough try. Fubo also drops or rearranges major channel packages at random. And the service seems to drop channels every year. It’s hard for me to recommend a service without TNT, TBS, or CNN.
If forced to choose, YouTube TV is the better choice unless you need Fubo’s regional sports networks. YouTube TV has a better user interface and a better channel lineup for most people.
Discover more from Streaming Smarter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
