FuboTV vs YouTube TV: Which One Should You Go For?

The FuboTV vs YouTube TV comparison is a dispute that won’t be going anytime soon as both are fantastic streaming services.

In this article, we broke down in detail the different features they possess. 

You can’t put out a comprehensive list of excellent streaming platforms without mentioning FuboTV and YouTube TV.

These two are remarkable services that offer their users a collection of fantastic channels alongside many similar features, making them more or less the same. 

Although they are high up on the list of tv streaming services, they both have unique features that appeal to various users, as you’ll see below.

Therefore, in our FuboTV vs YouTube TV comparison, we documented in detail their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which to settle for. 

What is FuboTV? 

FuboTV was established in 2015 as predominantly a football streaming service. In 2017 it switched to an all-sport platform. However, it currently accommodates TV channels in almost every domain, making it a concise TV streaming service. It is available in Canada, Spain, and the United States with about 500,000+ active subscribers. 

Learn more about FuboTV here in our detailed review.

What is YouTube TV? 

YouTube TV was launched in February 2017. Like you’ve probably guessed, it is a streaming service owned by Google’s YouTube; its interface makes this evident. Although strongly affiliated with the popular video site, YouTube, it is still a service that stands alone. 

Like FuboTV, YouTube TV contains a vast collection of channels in various domains and was once available to just Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco; however, in March 2019, it is available nationwide, boasting over two million subscribers. 

FuboTV vs YouTube TV breakdown

Here, we would discuss the different attributes that makeup both streaming services. But before that, let’s see some things to consider when selecting a streaming TV. 

1. Internet Speed

Virtually all streaming services work with the internet; to get the best of your streaming TV, you need to get a tremendous internet connection.

This becomes more integral if you plan on streaming high-resolution videos, especially 4k videos, to avoid unnecessary lagging and buffering. The FCC recommends you go for a 5 – 8 Mbps speed for streaming HD videos and 25 Mbps for streaming 4k videos. 

2. Devices to stream with

Most streaming services aren’t compatible with some devices. So, it would be best if you go for a service/platform that accepts the current device you have. Gaming consoles and smart TVs are the typical way so many users stream their content. You can also stream via your laptop by connecting your system to your TV with an HDMI cable.

3. Favourite channels

You need to look out for your favorite tv channels and confirm that your streaming TV has them. Most services are predominantly focused on specific domains; if you are a sports fan, a sports streaming service will be best for you. The same applies to comedy, entertainment, movies, etc.

4. Price

Cutting the cord due to price and settling for an expensive streaming TV sounds counterproductive. You should be sure the price is worth it before selecting a streaming platform.

5. DVR 

Viewing your content offline is possible on streaming services that offer cloud DVR storage. All streaming platforms don’t offer the same amount of DVR storage; while some may be offering ample or unlimited storage space, others may be offering unlimited storage duration. It would be best if you look out for this too when making a choice.

6. Simultaneous streams

If you would be sharing your TV with other members of your households, then you should look out for streaming services that not only allow you to create multiple profiles but also allow a good amount of simultaneous streams

FuboTV in details

This section would break down the different features that constitute FuboTV, including its price, channels, looks, and other features. 

Looks

FuboTV can be accessed on both your mobile devices and computers. Both have almost different looks, which won’t be hard to spot out. Its web interface, which is predominantly accessed via computer browsers, is relatively easy to navigate. Its top menu bar contains six tabs: Home, Shows, Sports, Movies, Guide, and Recordings. 

Each option is a section of its own. The Home menu takes you to the default welcome page; the Sports section features a collection of Sports TV programs including sports-related shows, news, activities, tournaments, and events; the Movies and Shows section gives you a vast option of movies and shows, respectively. 

The Guide option presents you with the countless channels FuboTV offers. The Recordings contain different events or shows you’ve recorded. From this, we can agree that FuboTV’s interface is quite navigable. 

Price

FuboTV price varies with its different plans; it has a starting price of $64.99, which is for its Starter Plan, also known as its Family Plan. It has an Elite Plan of $79.99 and a plan specific for its Spanish users, which costs $29.99.

These plans all vary in not just their prices but the services and features they offer. FuboTV free trial is available on its Starter plan and lasts for just a week. 

Channels

The different plans offer a different number of channels. There’s also room to add more channels. Below is the Fubo channel line-up 

Cloud DVR

FuboTV makes room for DVR storage. It has a starting base of 250 cloud hours recording. They offer a window to upgrade it up to 1000 hours. The different plans have different DVR storage capabilities.

You can store your recordings here for an indefinite time and view them offline. 

Devices

You can enjoy FuboTV across multiple devices; Android and iOS devices can access it via their mobile browsers or from its app. You can also enjoy your live stream with your desktop computers, laptops, and Smart TVs.

It isn’t compatible with LG or Vizio Smart TVs. Nintendo and PlayStation aren’t also compatible with FuboTV.

Below are a collection of devices you can use FuboTV on. 

• Amazon Fire TV
• Android OS 5.0 or higher
• Android TV with Android OS 5.0 or higher
• Apple iOS v10.0 or higher
• Apple TV 4th generation or newer
• Google Chromecast
• Roku Model 3600X or higher
• Samsung Smart TVs
• XBOX

Multiple Streams

One prominent feature we often look out for when “cutting the cord” is the number of devices we can simultaneously stream our new streaming TVs on. FuboTV allows you to stream simultaneously on up to three screens. Its Elite plan allows up to 10 devices. 

Other Features 

FuboTV is an excellent platform to use; besides the features above, below are some others you should expect from this service. 

Look back and Start Over:

With the Lookback feature, you can watch selected sporting events that were broadcasted in the last 72 hours. So, if for an unavoidable reason you missed a game, you can watch that game again by making use of the Lookback feature. 

The Start Over feature allows users to restart a live broadcast from the beginning irrespective of the time they started watching. So, suppose if you are 20 minutes late into your favorite basketball team’s game, you can easily drag back the progress bar to the very beginning and start over the game. 

Both the Look back and Start Over feature aren’t available for all channels. 

Video Resolution:

FuboTV is the first streaming TV to offer the renowned 4k resolution; they made this available before the 2018 world cup. Streaming content in 4k would demand high-speed internet; a speed of 25Mbps is ideal.

Although it is pretty common to stream content on a 720p resolution, FuboTV still makes its popular on-demand content available in a 1080p resolution. 

The 4k resolution is available for barely 130 channels and mainly in the sports section. You also need a compatible device; FuboTV supports a lot of streaming devices such as Apple TV 4k, Chromecast Ultra, FireTV 4k, FireTV Cube, Roku (Ultra, Premier, Premier +) including some Android devices. 

Profiles:

You can create up to six profiles on FuboTV, with each of them having its unique customization. It also makes close captions available. Its downside is that you can’t customize the close caption as you like. 

YouTube TV in details

Here, we also discussed in detail what to expect from YouTube TV. 

Looks

The undeniable part of YouTube TV is the similarity with the famous YouTube video platform. Its top menu bar is broken down into three options, Library, Home, and Live. 

The Library consists of your recordings, while the Home section is the welcome page.

Here, you can find featured content; it is split into different sections, including Recommended and Top picks for you. It also curates content based on tags.

The Live option features your TV guide. Here, you can find many live shows and upcoming shows too. It also has Channel icons; here, you can prioritize your frequent channels. 

Price

YouTube TV pricing starts at $64.99 with access to up to 6 unique profiles + their DVR. 

Channels

 The YouTube TV channel list includes

Cloud DVR

YouTube TV takes things high up by providing an unlimited DVR. You can make use of this feature only when you are online. It allows you to store videos irrespective of the hours; however, you can only store them for nine months only.

You can pause, rewind and forward your recordings, including most of the ads they feature. 

Devices 

YouTube TV is available on desktops, laptops & smart TVs; you can also make use of your mobile devices. Chrome and Firefox are currently the only web browsers you can work with if you are accessing it via Desktop or Laptop.

Other smart TVs & streaming devices that support youtube tv are:

• Chromecast 
• AirPlay for Apple TC
• Google Smart Display
• Android TV
• All Vizio SmartCasts TV
• Samsung & LG Smart TVs (2016 models and above) 
• HiSense TV
• Apple TV
• Fire TV
• Xbox 
• Roxu
• Ps4

It would be best if you went for the latest versions of these devices. 

Multiple Streams 

You get six profiles with the YouTube TV plan; every account or profile has its unique recommendation and cloud DVR. Your household can stream on three different screens simultaneously. 

Other features

Mobile app:

YouTube TV has an excellent mobile app; its interface is similar to what you have on its desktop browser. It also features a dark mode with good search and library organizations tools. 

Parental controls:

You can censor what children could watch on YouTube TV. It gives its users the option to allow TV-Y, TV-G, G, and PG content only. It won’t just block the restricted contents but stop the kids from searching for it. 

Similarities Between FuboTV and Youtube TV

From what we’ve lined up here, we can conclude that both streaming TVs are similar in many ways and also in the features they offer. 

• Both TVs offer cloud DVR storage. 

• They are both available to US users, although FuboTV is active in Canada and Spain. 

• You can’t access the majority of the channels on both TVs if you make use of a VPN. 

• You can enjoy 4k content on FuboTV and YouTube TV; FuboTV was the first to integrate 4k resolution videos to their streaming TV platform. They currently have about 130 channels giving out content in this format. YouTube TV doesn’t measure up to FuboTV in the “4k world”, although it does have some channels that broadcast in 4k. This is another win for FuboTV, even though most users would settle for the HD version of visual contents especially considering the high demand of resources 4k requires. 

• The DVR capabilities on these two platforms allow you to skip almost all ads while watching your recorded content. 

• You can stream content simultaneously on up to three devices on these two platforms. 

• Both services offer a free trial.

DifferencesBetween FuboTV and Youtube TV

• FuboTV started out as a football TV, it later transcended into a comprehensive streaming TV. Nevertheless, this goal hasn’t entirely been left behind as FuboTV is the #1 recommendation for not just Football fans but sports fans.

• YouTube TV doesn’t focus on any domain, it is an all-round TV and dishes out equal energy across sports, news, entertainment etc. Although both platforms provide contents in almost every domain, we still have FuboTV as a sports fan favourite.

• While both services offer DVR capabilities, there’s still a catch. FuboTV starts at 250hours – 1000hours of cloud storage and gives you an infinite amount of time to store your recorded content. YouTube TV falls short with a defined storage duration (9 months), it, however, allows its users to record for as long as possible.

• YouTube DVR is somewhat a VOD than a DVR, you log in to access your recorded content and can’t store it on your local storage, a feature many find displeasing. FuboTV, on the other hand, allows you to enjoy your recorded content offline. 

• FuboTV offers over 100 channels while YouTube offers over 85+. 

• YouTube plan offers six profiles at the highest, while FuboTV offers up to 10 profiles on its Elite Plan. 

• FuboTV is available for many devices, although it is lesser when compared to the number of devices you can enjoy YouTube TV on. 

• YouTube TV has a Parental Control feature; this isn’t available on FuboTV.

Final Words

In the grand scheme of things, FuboTV vs. YouTube TV is a debate that would always show up because they are both at the top and there’s no clear winner; nevertheless, both platforms are excellent TV streaming services choice often falls to who would be using it. 

FAQs

Q. Does FuboTV have a free trial? 

Yes, FuboTV does. Its Free trial is available on its Starter Plan and its Latino Plan only.

Q. Does YouTube tv include YouTube premium?

No, it doesn’t. YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are completely different platforms. YouTube TV features a collection of official broadcasts that can be found on popular networks. It also gives its users popular shows from specific YouTube creators. 

YouTube Premium, on the other hand, is a paid service available to specific countries which improve the YouTube Gaming, YouTube Music, YouTube Kids, and Video experience by giving you enhanced features, ad-free content, and premium content that can’t be found on the default YouTube video platform.