YouTube TV celebrates 5 million subscribers and trialers in five years
Jul 12, 2022 – minute read
When we launched YouTube TV five years ago, we wanted to make watching TV even more enjoyable — featuring a modern product experience without all the commitments, equipment fees and hassle. Today, we’re humbled that five million of you are currently on this journey with us1.
Did you know? We almost settled on calling the YouTube TV you know and love today as “YouTube Air.”
Did you know? When YouTube TV started out, a group of engineers climbed onto the roof of YouTube headquarters while holding an antenna in order to build a prototype. Based on this experience, we almost settled on calling the YouTube TV you know and love today as “YouTube Air.” And within the team that worked on this product, our project codename was “Unplugged.” (Watching TV without a cable box — get it?)
Today, YouTube TV is available nationwide with more than 100 channels, and features such as unlimited cloud DVR space, Spanish-language content offerings, and a family plan. And here are just a few of the unique features that we added to enhance the watch experience these past five years:
- No Spoiler Mode: to hide scores for specific sports teams and leagues so you don’t get, well, spoilers
- Key Plays: to see real-time team and player stats, key plays, and league scores while watching sports
- Fantasy View: link your existing fantasy football account so you view your team and league performance in real-time while watching NFL games
- Kickoff notifications: get a notification when a new live airing is starting
- Segments: you can jump directly to different sections of news segments
It goes without saying, we know we wouldn’t be here without you. To celebrate over five million of our viewers, here are some top 5 lists on what you loved about YouTube TV in these past five years.
Live TV at your fingertips
Let’s face it: with an abundance of options, catching a show live as it airs isn’t always feasible. That’s why YouTube TV has always included unlimited DVR as part of our core offering because our viewers should have as much control and choice over their favorite shows and movies.
The current top 5 most DVR’d shows across all YouTube TV viewers are:
- Yellowstone
- Saturday Night Live
- This Is Us
- 60 Minutes
- Grey's Anatomy
Our viewers love catching reruns of past fan-favorites as well — we found that the top 5 series viewers are nostalgic for are2:
- Friends
- The Office
- Two and a Half Men
- Big Bang Theory
- Everybody Loves Raymond
Watch like a fan
YouTube TV has also been home to a dedicated and passionate audience of sports fans. We are proud to have a robust sports offering, from basketball, baseball and football to add-ons such as 4K Plus and Sports Plus.
But those weren’t the only sports viewers caught on YouTube TV. Other sports you may not have known were available on YouTube TV include:
- Formula 1 racing
- Soccer (From Premier League to Liga MX)
- Wrestling (from WWE to AEW to Impact)
- Horse racing
- Billiards
From 2021 to 2022, watch time for the Monaco Grand Prix doubled.
In fact, Formula 1 has grown in popularity among YouTube TV members over the past year. Just look at stats from the Monaco Grand Prix: between 2021 and 2022, watch time doubled.
From coast to coast, from sports fanatics to TV enthusiasts, we are grateful to everyone who has been part of the adventure that is YouTube TV for the past five years. Here’s to the next five!
1. As of June 2022
2. Based on watch time over the past six months to June 2022