YouTube TV offering HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz for $5 less in new bundle

For YouTube TV customers who subscribe individually to HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz, the company is rolling out a new entertainment bundle that will save people $5.

The optional package is $30 a month. Individually, HBO Max costs $15 a month, Showtime is $11 a month, and Starz is $9 a month, meaning customers who subscribe to all three spend $35 a month through the individual subscription plans. YouTube TV has steadily added more premium channels over the last couple of years, including inking a deal with WarnerMedia for HBO Max in February 2020.

While the bundle is an easy way to save $5 a month, YouTube has also gotten increasingly expensive over the last year. In June, YouTube TV increased its monthly price from $50 to $65. The move came after YouTube signed a distribution agreement with ViacomCBS to carry a suite of channels: BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1. While YouTube TV isn’t the only virtual TV provider to increase monthly fees as more distribution deals are struck. (AT&T TV Now, Fubo TV, and Hulu with Live TV have all faced similar price hikes.)

Still, for someone who relies on YouTube TV and wants access to three of the biggest premium cable networks, it’s nice to save $5 a month. Now if only YouTube TV could figure out its regional sports network issues.