YouTubeTV Launches Standalone Apps on Multiple Devices

October 31, 2017

One more option to cut the cable cords is now available on multiple devices.

In a few days, users will be able to download YouTubeTV on their Xbox One consoles and Android TV app stores. In the coming weeks, the YouTubeTV app will roll out to Apple TV, Roku and smart TVs from Samsung, Sony and LG. Not included on the list is anything relating to Amazon, perhaps in a strategic move relating to ongoing disputes and efforts to bring users over from Prime Video.

YouTube launched its own independent TV streaming service about six months ago and dubbed it YouTubeTV. It combined 40 channels with YouTube’s customization options, a DVR and a few original morsels of programming, all coming in at $35 USD a month.

A subscription nets customers the use of six accounts per household and well-known networks including ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN and FX.

“We know you love watching TV content on, well, your TV. In fact, over half the time spent watching YouTube TV is consumed through Chromecast on the big screen,” YouTube wrote on their blog. “And members who stream with a Chromecast are highly engaged, watching over four hours a day on the weekends with football season back in full swing.”

A few days ago, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai noted that users watch over 100 million hours of YouTube on their TVs every day. That figure did not only pertain to YouTubeTV, but any TV connected to the internet and YouTube in general. Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion back in 2006.

YouTube knows that many viewers watch content on their mobile devices, as Pichai noted that of the one billion hours watched every day on any platform, most of them—about 60 per cent or 600 million hours—come from mobile. These new apps are meant to bring users from their phones to their TVs and complete the viewing experience, all the way from a viral kitten video to a World Series baseball game.

When YouTubeTV launched, it was only available to five cities, then it expanded to 10, and now customers in 50 cities can access the service. The company has not yet divulged how many YouTubeTV subscribers there are.