YouTube Premium is not included with YouTube TV
YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are two separate subscriptions. When you pay for YouTube TV, you get live television channels and on-demand shows — but you do not automatically get YouTube Premium features like ad-free viewing on the main YouTube app, offline downloads, or background play.
If you want both services, you need to pay for them separately. YouTube TV costs one amount per month, and YouTube Premium costs another. Some people subscribe to both, but the company does not bundle them together or offer a discount when you have one and add the other.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are completely separate subscriptions with different costs and different features.
- YouTube TV gives you live channels and on-demand content, but ads still appear on the YouTube app itself.
- YouTube Premium removes ads from the YouTube app, lets you read videos, and enables background play on mobile.
- You can check your subscriptions in your Google Account settings to see which services you currently have active.
- If you want both, you will need to pay for each one independently — there is no bundle or discount.
What YouTube TV actually includes
YouTube TV is a live television service. You get access to over 70 channels including news, sports, entertainment, and local broadcasts. You can watch on-demand shows and movies from those channels, record programs to watch later, and stream on multiple devices at once depending on your plan.
What you do not get is an ad-free experience on YouTube.com or the YouTube mobile app. When you open the YouTube app to search for videos, you will still see ads before videos play, just like someone without any YouTube subscription. YouTube TV membership does not change that.
What YouTube Premium includes instead
YouTube Premium is a separate service for the YouTube app and YouTube.com. It removes ads from videos, lets you read videos to watch offline, and allows videos to keep playing when your phone screen is locked or you switch to another app. It also includes YouTube Music Premium, which is ad-free music streaming.
YouTube Premium does not include YouTube TV. You do not get live television channels or cable content. It is only for the YouTube platform itself — the videos people upload, music, and YouTube Originals.
How to check which subscriptions you have
Open YouTube on any device and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Purchases and memberships or Memberships depending on your device. You will see a list of all active subscriptions tied to your Google Account.
If you see YouTube TV listed, you have that service. If you see YouTube Premium listed, you have that service. If you see both, you are paying for both separately. If you see neither, you have no paid YouTube subscriptions.
The cost of having both services
YouTube TV pricing varies by location and plan tier, typically ranging from around $65 to $85 per month depending on which channels you want. YouTube Premium costs a separate monthly fee. If you want both, you add those two amounts together — there is no discount for having both.
Some people decide they only need one or the other. Others find that having both fits their viewing habits. The choice depends on whether you watch more live television or more YouTube videos, and whether ads bother you enough to pay to remove them.
Why Google keeps them separate
YouTube TV and YouTube Premium serve different audiences and different purposes. YouTube TV is for people who want traditional cable channels and live sports. YouTube Premium is for people who watch a lot of YouTube videos and want an ad-free experience. Some people want both, some want one, and some want neither.
By keeping them separate, Google lets you pay only for what you actually use. If you only watch live TV, you do not have to pay extra for YouTube Premium features you would not use. If you only watch YouTube videos and do not care about cable, you do not have to pay for YouTube TV.
What to do if you want both services
If you decide you want YouTube TV for live channels and YouTube Premium for an ad-free YouTube experience, you can sign up for both. Go to the YouTube TV website or app and sign up for YouTube TV first. Then go to YouTube.com, tap your profile picture, and select Get YouTube Premium to add that subscription separately.
Both will charge to the same Google Account and payment method. You can cancel either one at any time without affecting the other. Your YouTube TV recordings and library will stay the same whether or not you have YouTube Premium.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I cancel YouTube TV, do I lose YouTube Premium too?
No. They are completely separate subscriptions. Canceling YouTube TV does not affect YouTube Premium, and canceling YouTube Premium does not affect YouTube TV. You can have one, the other, both, or neither.
Can I use YouTube Premium features on YouTube TV?
YouTube Premium removes ads from YouTube.com and the YouTube app, but YouTube TV is a separate app with its own ad structure. YouTube Premium does not change how ads work in YouTube TV itself.
Is there a family plan that includes both services?
YouTube TV has a family plan option that lets multiple people watch on different devices. YouTube Premium also has a family plan. You would need to pay for each family plan separately — they do not bundle together.
Do I get YouTube Premium if I pay for YouTube TV through a third-party service?
No. No matter where you buy YouTube TV — directly from Google, through an app store, or through another provider — it does not include YouTube Premium. You would still need to pay for YouTube Premium separately if you want it.