YouTube TV is the better all-around pick, but Fubo wins on sports coverage
YouTube TV vs. Fubo Review: Our 2026 Head-to-Head Comparison
5 min read
Edited ByBrenna EliesonIf you're trying to cut the cord without losing channels you actually watch, YouTube TV and Fubo are two options you might be considering — and for good reason. They have a variety of sports, news, and entertainment channels, and no contracts.
But a lot has changed in the past year: Fubo lost all of its NBCUniversal channels with no resolution in sight, and YouTube TV launched genre-specific plans that bring its entry price down for new subscribers.
So which one is worth your money? Our expert reviewers put the services to the test: Monica Yoshida ran YouTube TV as her family's only TV service for a full month, while Peter Holslin tested Fubo for five days on his home setup — both evaluating value, experience, and channel lineup. Here’s what they found.
Why you can trust us
At Reviews.org, our team takes its editorial independence seriously. We may earn money when readers click affiliate links, but we don't work for our brand partners, and they don’t approve our pieces before publication. To learn more, visit our About us page.
Meet the experts
As a parent of three with limited time to watch TV, Monica Yoshida tried YouTube TV for one month — recording live events, running multiview sessions, and stress-testing simultaneous streams across multiple devices. She evaluated ease of use, the new genre plans, and whether the service justifies its price tag for real families.
Staff Writer, Reviews.org
Peter Holslin spent five days testing Fubo on his LG TV — navigating the app, recording content to cloud digital video recorder (DVR), watching live sports in real time, and mapping out Fubo's channel gaps against the competition.
Writer, Reviews.org
Our breakdown of YouTube TV vs. Fubo
Our reviews are based on three main criteria. We give a score for each, then average them for an overall quality rating.
Quick verdict: Which service should you choose?
Choose YouTube TV if you want a well-rounded cable replacement with NBC for the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics, and new entertainment and sports plans that didn't exist a year ago.
Choose Fubo if live sports volume is your top priority — specifically regional sports networks (RSNs) for local NBA, MLB, and NHL games. You will need to supplement with another service for NBC content (such as Peacock).
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | YouTube TV | Fubo |
|---|---|---|
| Base plan price | $82.99/mo. | $73.99/mo. |
| Free trial | Varies from 2–21 days | Varies from 1+ days |
| No. of channels | 100+ | Up to 296 |
| Cloud DVR storage | Unlimited (9-month limit) | Unlimited (9-month limit) |
| Multiple user profiles | Up to 6 | Up to 6 |
| Simultaneous streams | 3 (unlimited under one roof with $9.99/mo. add-on) | Up to 10 (plan-dependent) |
| 4K streaming | $9.99/mo. add-on | Included on Elite and Deluxe |
| NBC included |
 |
 |
| Regional sports networks |
|
|
| ESPN Unlimited | Fall 2026 | |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Plans and prices
YouTube TV: 4/5
Fubo: 4/5
YouTube TV plans
Yoshida's biggest takeaway on cost and value from a month of testing YouTube TV is that it fills a live TV gap streaming services often leave open — sports, local news, and real-time events that Netflix and Hulu's on-demand libraries can't cover. For families already paying for streaming, it's an addition to the stack rather than a replacement, but one that covers a lot of ground.
YouTube TV also launched genre-specific plans in February 2026, giving subscribers some flexibility for the first time since the service launched in 2017. All plans include useful features like unlimited DVR, multiview, Key Plays, up to six user profiles, and three simultaneous streams. One important warning from Yoshida's YouTube TV review is that those genre-specific plans are limited if you want a well-rounded lineup, so if you opt for the Entertainment plan, it drops all major sports networks. And if you want the Sports plan, you can say goodbye to any movies or guilty-pleasure home renovation shows.
Fubo plans
Channel counts vary by source and may differ by market.
Fubo restructured its pricing in January 2026 after losing NBCUniversal channels, lowering the Pro monthly price from $84.99 to $73.99 and the Elite plan from $94.99 to $83.99. The Pro plan offers one of the best dollar-to-channel ratios of any live TV streamer — 213 channels for less than the base plan for YouTube TV. However, Holslin found the Elite plan to offer the best value for serious sports fans: it adds 4K streaming at no extra cost and bumps the channel count. Note that RSN fees up to $16.99 per month apply for customers in some areas, and there's no way to opt out.
Reliability and experience
YouTube: 5/5
Fubo: 4/5
YouTube TV reliability
YouTube TV was easy to use, similar to the normal YouTube website. Its unlimited DVR feature delivered on its promise, and Yoshida could record entire seasons, live sporting events, and holiday specials simultaneously without running into storage issues. The multiview feature — which lets you watch up to four streams at once on a single screen — was one of her favorite features, especially handy for households where everyone wants something different. Yoshida's kids also discovered they could each watch their own show on the same screen, so it was a win for everyone.
YouTube TV's 4-screen multiview feature on a Samsung TV, displaying a Bath Fitter ad, a Ramp commercial, a USA Network drama, and a women's college basketball game between UConn and Notre Dame in the 4th quarter. Image courtesy of Monica Yoshida, Reviews.org
Fubo reliability
Holslin went into Fubo as a self-described non-sports fan — and came out the other side genuinely hooked. Fubo's app is easy to navigate without a sports background. Rather than organizing content by channel, it surfaces specific games, shows, and events on the home screen — it looks like a Netflix content library rather than a traditional scrolling channel guide, which makes it a lot less intimidating than parsing through a grid trying to figure out which channel carries what.
Peter Holslin tested Fubo on his LG TV. Overall, he found that the viewing experience was of high quality, and he enjoyed being able to watch live sports. Image courtesy of Peter Holslin, Reviews.org
Streaming quality during live games was strong. Holslin confirmed 1080p and 4K resolution during a live college basketball game between Syracuse and North Carolina, with smooth playback and no buffering. Load times on his LG TV were occasionally slow, but live broadcasts were reliable throughout his five-day trial. Fubo also supports up to 10 simultaneous streams on Pro and Elite plans — more than YouTube TV's default of three — which makes it a better choice for larger households who want multiple games running at once.
Reliability and experience benchmarks
Channel selection
YouTube TV: 4/5
Fubo: 4/5
Local channels
Local channel availability varies by ZIP code on both services, and both carry ABC, CBS, FOX, and The CW in most markets. The key difference: YouTube TV includes NBC, while Fubo has been without it since late 2025, due to an unresolved carriage dispute. Make sure you check each provider's website with your ZIP code before subscribing.
Sports channels
Fubo wins on sheer sports volume — no other live TV streamer comes close to its channel count, and its RSNs are a dealbreaker differentiator for local team fans. Holslin found it easy to surface nearly any game happening on a given day, from college basketball to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. But YouTube TV wins on the channels that matter most to the widest audience. NBC broadcasts the Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football, and the Winter Olympics — none of which you can watch on Fubo right now. YouTube TV also carries TBS and TNT for the NBA playoffs and the MLB postseason. YouTube TV is also the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket (an add-on), the only way to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon games.
Full channel list
The table below covers every major channel on both services, with YouTube TV's base plan compared against Fubo's Pro plan — Elite-only channels on Fubo are noted. YouTube TV carries more general entertainment, news, and lifestyle channels overall, while Fubo leads on sports depth and international coverage.
Fubo ✗ entries for NBC-owned channels reflect the ongoing NBCUniversal carriage dispute as of March 2026. Subject to change. †Golf Channel is NBCUniversal-owned and currently unavailable on Fubo due to the ongoing carriage dispute. Verify current availability at fubo.tv.
Overall quality
YouTube TV : 4.3/5
Fubo: 4/5
Fubo offers RSNs, making it the right pick if local NBA, NHL, or MLB coverage is non-negotiable for you. But with NBC gone and no return date set, Fubo is asking sports fans to pay a premium for a service that can't deliver the Super Bowl or the Winter Olympics.
On the other hand, YouTube TV does include NBC channels — and with new genre plans, it now does so at a more competitive price. For most cord-cutters, YouTube TV is the easier choice.
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
Reviews.org’s Peter Holslin tested Fubo for five days on his LG TV with a Google Fiber connection, evaluating the app interface, live sports quality, DVR functionality, and channel availability. Monica Yoshida used YouTube TV as her household's primary TV service for one month, digging into all the plan details and trying out the unique features. Both reviewers scored their assigned service across the same four criteria — plans and prices, reliability and experience, channel selection, and overall quality — so we could compare them directly.
For more information on how we test, check out our methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Both YouTube TV and Fubo offer a free trial for new subscribers — the length varies depending on current promotions, so check the sign-up pages for the current offer.
No. Fubo lost all NBCUniversal channels on November 21, 2025, when a distribution contract expired without renewal.
It depends on the plan. Fubo's Pro plan starts at $73.99 monthly, while YouTube TV's base plan is $82.99 monthly — making Fubo technically cheaper at the entry level for the full plan. However, YouTube TV's new Sports plan starts at $54.99 monthly for new subscribers for the first year, then renews at $64.99 monthly, which undercuts Fubo's Pro plan.
The YouTube TV Sports plan and Sports + News plan both include ESPN and the full suite of ESPN networks, including ESPN Unlimited in Fall 2026.
Related Articles
Nothing Headphone (a) Review: Smart Subtractions
Nothing’s second set of over-ear headphones make the right subtractions. Nothing Headphone (a) 4 Drivers40mmBattery...
Best Streaming Services for Spanish Speakers
Find the best Spanish-language streaming service with our 8 top favorites. We compare pricing and...
My Fubo TV Review 2026: I Used Fubo for a Week and Became a Sports Fan
Find out if fuboTV is your next live TV streaming service as we go over...
Best Streaming Service for Sports
Find the best sports streaming service for you, whether you’re a fan of professional football,...
