YouTube TV

YouTube’s announcement on Tues that it will launch a live streaming app at some point this year is only the latest evidence that the TV ecosystem continues to evolve faster than anyone might have imagined. The service, dubbed YouTube TV and costing $35 per month, will offer live feeds of the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox broadcast networks, along with a variety of affiliated cable networks including ESPN and some regional sports nets. In all, the service will launch with 44 nets and 2 “add-ons” for Fox Soccer Plus and Showtime. A “cloud DVR” service will allow unlimited recording, and YouTube TV also includes a VOD function limited by the same window restrictions faced by cable and satellite distributors. Other bells and whistles include voice search with Google Home (the “O.K. Google” device) and the ability to sling content from a mobile device to a TV via Chromecast. Interestingly, each $35-per-month subscription includes 6 log-ins that can be used by anyone living within the household. But at a press conference in L.A. on Tues, YouTube execs acknowledged that it will be difficult to keep people from sharing with friends outside the home. Said Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan: “There’s not much else we can do from a policing standpoint, but that’s how it works.” It’s also unclear how the product will roll out, with major markets likely the first to launch (You can sign up now at tv.youtube.com and get notified when it’s available). YouTube also will participate in ad revenue, execs confirmed, comparing the model to what traditional distributors get from licensees via ad avails. “Similar to what Comcast does today, that’s what we will do,” said Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl. Another tidbit: Users will need an Internet connection to view cloud DVR content, with no plans to offer a DRM-enabled download option for offline viewing, according to execs. Execs said YouTube TV will only be available in the U.S., so anyone trying to access it from other countries will be blocked