YouTube’s subscription TV service is now available on Roku’s various streaming media devices and the Roku TV.
Roku (ROKU) and YouTube said Thursday that people can now pay $35 monthly to watch television shows, local and national news, and sports events in real time via YouTube TV service, similar to how they watch shows on cable television.
The first month of the service will be free for new subscribers, the companies said.
“We are thrilled to bring YouTube TV to our customers,” Roku vice president of content distribution Tedd Cittadine said in a statement. “YouTube TV connects Roku users with great live TV from major broadcast and popular cable networks in a channel built specifically for TVs.”
The companies said that people will be able to record an unlimited number of TV shows and other media, click on a “Live” tab that shows them what shows are playing in real-time, and see personalized recommendations, presumably based on customer viewing habits.
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People will also be able to share their YouTube TV accounts with up to five different people, with each person receiving a unique login and other features.
YouTube has been heavily promoting its live TV service, which debuted in April and includes channels like ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, ESPN, and Telemundo.
Users will have to pay an extra monthly fee for certain sports channels and premium networks like Showtime and Fox Soccer Plus. Additionally, in order to access the service, customers must live in areas where it is available, like the San Francisco Bay Area or the New York metropolitan region.
Competing services to YouTube Live include Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and Sony’s Playstation Vue.
The YouTube TV service is also available on other streaming devices like the Microsoft Xbox and various Android-powered devices. Google, which owns YouTube, said YouTube TV would eventually come to Apple TV and some Internet-connected televisions by Sony and Samsung.
