YouTube TV is now the cheaper of the two at $82.99 a month, against $88.99 for Fubo Pro before regional sports fees. That reverses the position from a year ago. Fubo’s counter is that it includes ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost, which YouTube TV promised in November 2025 and still has not delivered.
If you read a comparison of these two written before this summer, the price conclusion in it is probably wrong. Both services moved, and they moved in opposite directions.
Every figure below was checked against Fubo’s and YouTube TV’s own pages on 18 July 2026.
What Changed in 2026
Three things, and together they reverse the old verdict.
Fubo got its NBCUniversal channels back, then raised prices. Fubo lost NBC, USA, Bravo and the rest in November 2025 and cut its Pro plan to compensate. A new distribution agreement was announced on 10 June 2026, ending roughly seven months without them. Fubo then put prices up by $15 a month. The channels are returning in stages rather than all at once: Telemundo, Universo, Cozi and NBC News NOW are live, while NBC local affiliates were still rolling out market by market as of July 2026.
YouTube TV held its price. The base plan has been $82.99 a month across the whole period, which is why the two services swapped places without YouTube TV doing anything.
Fubo added ESPN Unlimited to its Pro and Elite plans. This is the part almost no comparison mentions, and it is covered in its own section below.
The Real Monthly Cost
Headline prices understate Fubo, because Fubo charges a separate regional sports fee that varies by where you live. Fubo publishes the range as $3.99 to $16.99 a month on top of the plan price.
| Fubo Pro | Fubo Elite | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard monthly | $88.99 | $98.99 | $82.99 |
| Intro offer | $63.99 first month | $68.99 first month | $67.99/mo for 3 months |
| Regional sports fee | $3.99 to $16.99 extra | $3.99 to $16.99 extra | None |
| Channels | 200+ | 270+ | 100+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited, 9-month expiry | Unlimited, 9-month expiry | Unlimited, 9-month expiry |
| Simultaneous streams | Up to 10 at home | Up to 10 at home | 3, or unlimited at home with 4K Plus |
| ESPN Unlimited included | Yes | Yes | No, still not launched |
| Free trial | None on live-TV plans | None on live-TV plans | 10 days |
So YouTube TV is $6 a month cheaper before fees, and between $10 and $23 a month cheaper once Fubo’s regional sports charge lands. It also has an actual free trial, where Fubo currently offers none on its live-TV plans. Only Fubo’s add-ons carry trials.
One caution on channel counts. Fubo’s own figures moved by five channels between two checks on the same day, and its plan lineup varies by region. Treat any exact count you see anywhere as approximate, including ours.
ESPN Unlimited: The One Thing Fubo Has and YouTube TV Does Not
Fubo lists ESPN Unlimited as included at no extra cost on both Pro and Elite. Bought on its own, ESPN Unlimited costs $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year, so for a sports household that single inclusion outweighs the price gap.
YouTube TV subscribers were promised the same thing. When Disney and Google settled their carriage dispute in November 2025, the announced terms included ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost for YouTube TV subscribers, and a number of outlets reported it at the time as though it had already arrived.
It had not, and as of July 2026 it still has not. Subscribers were reported to be without ESPN app access before the Royal Rumble in January 2026, and again before WrestleMania 42 in April. Google has not published a launch date. If you are choosing between these two services specifically because of that promise, choose on what exists today rather than what was announced.
The linear ESPN channels are a separate matter and are not in dispute. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network and ABC are all live on YouTube TV now. Our page on whether ESPN is back on YouTube TV covers that timeline in full.
Sports, Head to Head
For American football, YouTube TV is the more complete package. It carries CBS, FOX, ABC and ESPN, and it has NBC, which matters for Sunday Night Football. Fubo is still restoring its NBC local affiliates market by market, so whether Fubo covers Sunday night in your area depends on your postcode as of this summer.
For soccer and international competitions, Fubo remains the stronger pick. That was the service’s original reason for existing and its lineup there still runs deeper than YouTube TV’s.
For everything driven by ESPN, including college football and basketball, Fubo’s inclusion of ESPN Unlimited gives it the edge on streaming access even though both carry the linear channels. Fubo also allows up to ten simultaneous streams at home against YouTube TV’s three, which matters on a Saturday with several games running at once. YouTube TV can match that only by adding 4K Plus at $9.99 a month, which removes the home stream cap.
Recording, Streams and Households
Recording is now a tie. Both offer unlimited cloud DVR and both expire recordings after nine months. Older comparisons still list Fubo at 1,000 hours, which is out of date.
Household handling differs. YouTube TV includes six accounts under one subscription, each with its own recordings and recommendations, which suits a family sharing one bill. Fubo’s advantage is concurrency rather than separate profiles: more screens at once, on the home network.
Who Each Service Is Actually For
Choose YouTube TV if you want the lower bill, a genuine free trial before committing, complete broadcast coverage including NBC everywhere rather than in some markets, and separate profiles for a household. It is the safer default, and for most people it is the better buy in 2026.
Choose Fubo if you watch a lot of ESPN and would otherwise pay for ESPN Unlimited separately, if soccer and international sport are a priority, or if you need more than three screens running at once at home. The extra cost is real, but a household that would buy ESPN Unlimited anyway comes out ahead.
If neither is a clear fit, the cheaper tiers elsewhere may serve better. Our Sling TV channel list covers plans from $19.99, and our guide to watching live TV without cable puts the whole field side by side. Current prices are on the Fubo plans page and the YouTube TV site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fubo or YouTube TV cheaper in 2026?
YouTube TV, at $82.99 a month against $88.99 for Fubo Pro. Fubo also adds a regional sports fee of $3.99 to $16.99 a month depending on your area, so the real gap is $10 to $23. Fubo was the cheaper service until it raised prices by $15 after restoring its NBCUniversal channels.
Is Fubo or YouTube TV better?
YouTube TV is the better all-round buy for most households: cheaper, complete broadcast coverage including NBC, six household accounts and a 10-day free trial. Fubo is better for heavy ESPN and soccer viewers, because it includes ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost and allows up to ten streams at home.
Does Fubo have NBC again?
Partly. Fubo and NBCUniversal announced a new agreement on 10 June 2026 after roughly seven months without the channels. Telemundo, Universo, Cozi and NBC News NOW are live, but NBC local affiliates were still rolling out market by market as of July 2026, so availability depends on where you live.
Does YouTube TV include ESPN Unlimited?
No. It was announced as part of the November 2025 Disney settlement and was widely reported at the time, but it had not launched as of July 2026 and Google has not given a date. Fubo does include ESPN Unlimited on its Pro and Elite plans today.
Which is better for football, Fubo or YouTube TV?
YouTube TV, for now. It carries CBS, FOX, ABC, ESPN and NBC nationally, which covers the full slate including Sunday Night Football. Fubo is still restoring NBC affiliates market by market, so its football coverage depends on your postcode this season.
Does Fubo or YouTube TV have a free trial?
YouTube TV offers a 10-day free trial. Fubo currently offers no free trial on its Pro, Elite or Latino live-TV plans, though some of its add-ons do. Any page listing a three-day Fubo trial is out of date.
Which has the better DVR?
Neither. Both now offer unlimited cloud DVR with recordings expiring after nine months. Comparisons that give Fubo 1,000 hours are describing an older plan spec.
How many people can watch at once?
Fubo allows up to ten simultaneous streams on your home network. YouTube TV includes three, which can be raised to unlimited at home by adding 4K Plus at $9.99 a month. YouTube TV also includes six separate household accounts.
Last updated 18 July 2026. Prices, channel inclusions and trial terms verified against fubo.tv and tv.youtube.com on that date. Both services changed pricing within the past two months, so confirm before subscribing.