YouTube TV is offering 12 cheaper channel packages (including live sports) right now

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• YouTube TV now offers a dozen cheaper subscription plans.
• You can choose from sports, entertainment, or news plans.
• Each option saves between $5 and $20 a month.

If you subscribe to YouTube TV just for a few channels, like live sports, there’s a new option that might help you save some money.

The streaming TV service recently rolled out a dozen different packages that are cheaper than the full-access plan — currently $83 a month. Instead of paying for everything, you can pay only for the channels you actually watch. 

Also: YouTube Premium vs. Premium Lite: Why the new cheaper tier may be all you need

This announcement comes not long after YouTube rolled out Premium Lite, a cheaper version of the paid service that gives you ad-free viewing on YouTube plus background play and the ability to download videos. It’s probably no coincidence that YouTube is introducing flexible pricing as streaming services get more expensive and users have plenty of options.

None of the options offer particularly large savings, with the range being about $5 to $20 a month. If you’re a long-term subscriber, though, those months do add up. And, you still get all the other YouTube TV benefits like unlimited DVR and multiview. Additionally, if you’re a first-time subscriber, there is a small discount on each plan. 

To sign up, go to the YouTube TV page while logged in, click your profile picture on the top right side, and look for Explore Plans. 

Here are the available plans:

Sports Plan ($65/month): The Sports Plan gives you access to all the major broadcasters as well as sports-specific networks like FS1 and NBC Sports Network, plus all of the ESPN networks and ESPN Unlimited (a new service coming this fall that covers WWE, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 football and basketball, plus postseason events and studio shows). 

Also: The best live TV streaming services: Expert tested

Sports + News Plan ($72/month): For an additional $7 a month ($2 a month for new users), you can get everything on the Sports Plan plus national news networks like CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, CSPAN, Bloomberg, and Fox Business.

Entertainment Plan ($55/month): The entertainment package gets you all major broadcasters plus channels like FX dramas, Hallmark classics, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network, HGTV, and more.

News + Entertainment + Family Plan ($70/month): Combining three popular tiers, this plan gets you the news and entertainment plans, plus family content like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, and more.

You can also sign up for one of eight other combinations of the above plans, including:

Also: Want free TV streaming? How to get more than 1000 channels – no subscription required

• Sports + Entertainment: $72/month
• News + Entertainment: $63/month
• News + Family: $63/month
• Sports + Family: $72/month
• Entertainment + Family: $63/month
• Sports + News + Family: $78/month
• Sports + Entertainment + Family: $78/month
• Sports + News + Entertainment: $78/month