Copyright Men's Journal
Since Oct. 30, YouTube TV subscribers have been without ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned channels as a result of a carriage dispute between the streaming platform and Disney. While the dispute has obviously been bad for business for YouTube TV, the platform has quietly made a significant move to help keep customers. So far, sports fans who subscribe to YouTube TV have missed two weekends of college football, the opening week of college basketball, several early-season NBA games, and two Monday Night Football games since the blackout began. With subscribers missing out on Disney-owned channels, YouTube TV issued all of its customers a $20 credit, but the streaming service quietly made another move, too. YouTube TV Offers $20 Credit As a result of the lengthy carriage dispute that caused subscribers to miss multiple weekends of sports content, YouTube TV offered its subscribers a $20 credit, though they did spark some frustration by forcing users to claim this credit rather than just automatically applying it to their accounts. “Over the next few days, you will receive a follow-up email with instructions on how to redeem your $20 credit for YouTube TV. Once redeemed, this will be applied to your next bill,” YouTube TV wrote in an email to subscribers on Sunday. Given that YouTube TV typically costs $82.99 per month, this works out to be about 25% off the cost of a monthly subscription. YouTube TV Quietly Cuts Prices Amid the extended blackout of all Disney-owned channels, including ESPN and ABC, YouTube TV has quietly installed a promotion that cuts prices for subscribers. As reported by Cord Cutter News, YouTube TV is currently offering eligible customers $10 per month discount offer for six months. This promotion effectively lowers the service’s standard $82.99 monthly fee to $72.99 for six months, for a total savings of $60. While this is similar to a promotion that YouTube TV has run in the past, the streaming service has done it much more quietly this time, without advertising it or sending emails to subscribers. How to Access the Deal As Cord Cutter News explains, the offer isn’t exactly easy to find. The outlet suggests that subscribers log in via a web browser on a computer, noting that “mobile apps notoriously omit this feature.” From there, follow these steps: Go to the “membership” section of the YouTube TV dashboard. Go to the “manage” option next to the base plan billing details This leads to a submenu with choices like pausing or canceling the subscription. Under the “options to cancel or pause your membership,” a promotional banner materializes for those who qualify. Simply click the banner and your reduced rate will be activated. You will receive a confirmation email, and billing adjustments will kick in on the next cycle. It may not be easy to find, and it only applies to those who are eligible, but it will help some subscribers save money, especially amid this blackout.
