Report: YouTube Going ‘Unplugged’ With its Own Cable TV Bundle
Yes, if it weren’t immediately clear that traditional cable faces tremendous changes, YouTube is joining the likes of Hulu and countless others by looking to bundle streaming subscriptions of cable and broadcast channels. Meet YouTube Unplugged, the latest so-called “cable-killer.”
Per Bloomberg (via Business Insider), YouTube has reportedly approached outlets like CBS, Viacom and beyond for the purpose of an “Unplugged” subscription to bundle TV channels for streaming live online. The online video giant had been mulling around such a service since at least 2012, but hopes to get Unplugged on its feet in 2017.
The service would reportedly run around $35 per month (less than Hulu’s proposed $40), and run in tandem with YouTube’s other subscription service, Red. For the moment at least, no networks have made any official deals for YouTube’s proposed platform.
YouTube has also declined to comment on any official service for the moment, but could 2017 be the year “skinny” bundles start overtaking traditional cable packages? Will YouTube soon flourish with its own content outside of Red? Stay tuned.