If you’re thinking about subscribing to YouTube TV, but you’d like to learn more about the YouTube TV on-demand library and live streaming, you’ve come to the right place. In this mini-review, we’ll discuss everything that you need to know about watching on-demand and live content on YouTube TV. Read on, and get all the details.
Is YouTube TV better for on-demand or live streaming?
In our opinion, YouTube TV is a solid choice for both on-demand content and live streaming.
YouTube TV offers 100+ live channels
On the live TV front, YouTube TV's sole plan offers 100+ channels (actual number varies on your area) covering news, entertainment, children's programming, sports... the list goes on. You'll get channels like ESPN, CNN, AMC, Food Network, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, HGTV, CNBC, and more.
Depending on where you live, you can also get access to local channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.
YouTube TV offers thousands of hours of on-demand content to watch
YouTube TV has a pretty sizeable on-demand content library, with episodes from hundreds of top shows, and a good number of movies.
While they don’t have a list of all of the shows or how many hours of content is available on-demand, there are thousands of hours of shows and movies on YouTube TV.
Source: YouTube TV
Combine this with the unlimited, 9-month DVR you get as part of your subscription, the ability to create up to 6 user profiles and stream on 3 devices at once, and you’ll never have any issues watching your favorite shows and movies with the YouTube TV on-demand library, even if you're sharing your subscription with others.
What kind of content can I expect from the YouTube TV on-demand library?
YouTube TV offers on-demand content from most of its channel partners, such as Cartoon Network, FOX, FX, Food Network, The CW, and CBS, to name just a few, and watch shows like Dragon Ball Super, Fixer-Upper, House, Jane The Virgin, New Amsterdam, Archer and more.
Mostly, you’ll be able to watch the last several episodes or the most recent seasons of a particular show.
You can watch all of the most recent seasons of The Good Doctor, for example, including the most recently aired episodes. If you want to watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians, though, you’re limited to the last 3 episodes that have aired. Overall, YouTube TV is a good way to keep up with your favorite shows, but it’s not ideal if you want to catch up on past seasons.
You can also watch a reasonable selection of movies from channels like FX, AMC, and TBS, such as Bad Moms, Happy Death Day, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Some movies can be watched on-demand, while others can be automatically recorded when they air, and you can watch them on your DVR.
Does YouTube TV live and on-demand content have commercials?
For live TV, you cannot fast forward through ads. That said, if you are watching a show live and hit pause, you'll be able to fast-forward until you sync up to the live version. If you record any content using the unlimited DVR, you will be able to fast-forward through the commercials when rewatching the recording.
You will find commercials on YouTube TV’s on-demand content, but it depends on the network you’re watching. Not all networks have commercials.
Cartoon Network, for example, did not have commercials for its on-demand content. However, other networks like E! And The Food Network had multiple ads per show. It just depends on what you’re watching.
What kind of content can I watch live on YouTube TV?
Wondering what's on YouTube TV, and what you can watch live? Take a look at the Flixed TV Guide for YouTube TV. With this sleek, easy-to-use, and ad-free guide, you can quickly see the shows and events on each channel, and figure out what to watch.
What apps can I use to watch YouTube TV on-demand and live?
You can watch on-demand content on any device that is currently supported by YouTube TV. That means you can browse the YouTube TV on-demand content library and live channels on your iOS or Android, the Chrome web browser, and Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.
Some smart TVs from Hisense, VIZIO, Samsung, LG, and Sharp, as well as the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles also support YouTube TV. You can see a full breakdown here.
Eric Liston • Author
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
Lisa Holden • Editor
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.
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