Philo is the budget champion at $25/month with focus on entertainment and lifestyle channels, while YouTube TV costs $72.99/month but offers 150+ channels including sports, news, and premium networks with better sports coverage and on-demand content.
Philo vs YouTube TV — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Budget live TV streaming service focused on entertainment, lifestyle, and news channels.
Google's live TV streaming service with 150+ channels and extensive cloud DVR
Monthly Price. Total Live Channels. Sports Coverage. DVR Storage. Simultaneous Streams. Primary Channel Focus. Price Per Channel
Choose Philo if you're budget-conscious and primarily watch lifestyle, home improvement, cooking, and entertainment content from networks like HGTV, Food Network, A&E, and TLC. Choose YouTube TV if you want comprehensive coverage including sports, news, premium networks, and don't mind paying 3x more for significantly broader channel selection and sports programming.
Philo: 0 networks | YouTube TV: 20+ networks
Philo: $0.36/channel | YouTube TV: $0.49/channel
Philo: Limited (no major news) | YouTube TV: CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, ABC News
Philo: 3 screens | YouTube TV: 3 screens
Philo: 30 hours (no upgrade option) | YouTube TV: N/A
Philo: Unlimited | YouTube TV: Unlimited
Philo: 30 hours | YouTube TV: 3,000 hours
Philo: 3 streams | YouTube TV: 3 streams
Philo: 0 channels | YouTube TV: 15+ channels
Philo: 0 channels | YouTube TV: 10+ channels
Philo: Limited (select ESPN only) | YouTube TV: N/A
Philo: 7 days | YouTube TV: No free trial (5-day trial historically)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: $60 (intro) / $83 (standard)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 100+ live channels
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: All plans included
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Standard feature (no ads)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 6 accounts standard
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Moderate (licensed dominant)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Yes ($9.99/month add-on)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Yes - Advanced customizable layouts (2026)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 95%+ of US markets
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Genre-based plans (2026)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 6 simultaneous streams
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 2026 (multiview, interactive features)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: YouTube Premium, YouTube Music
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Yes (with add-on $9.99/mo)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Excellent with quick guide navigation
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 270 days (9 months)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Minimal (YouTube originals only)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Available with Premium tier ($13.99/month add-on)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Standard coverage only
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: None (unlimited included)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: No official bundles
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Varies (included in channels)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Limited (under 50)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Included via ESPN networks
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: ~500 (YouTube Originals)
Premium Tier Price (with Disney+ & ESPN+)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 100+ total channels
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 90% of U.S. markets
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Minimal original content focus
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 3,000+ (sports only)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: All major broadcasts (CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ABC)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Plan)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Yes ($79.99/month)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: No (separate subscriptions needed)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: All major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, CFB, etc.)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 0 (separate subscription required)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: All major platforms (Apple TV, Roku, Fire, web, mobile)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 3 (no upgrade needed)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: $15.99 (separate sub)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 4.4/5 (user reviews 2026)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: All major (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: $72.99 (included)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Included (ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports, MLB Network, Pac-12, others)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 0 (separate purchase)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Most major networks
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: Available (select channels)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: $14.99 (Sports+ add-on)
Philo: N/A | YouTube TV: 3 months ($1/month)
How to choose between Philo and YouTube TV
Philo vs YouTube TV — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Philo vs YouTube TV. Contains 162 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Philo vs YouTube TV — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Philo vs YouTube TV.
No. Philo does not include any major sports networks (ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, etc.). It focuses exclusively on entertainment, lifestyle, home improvement, and cooking content. If sports are important, YouTube TV is required.
What's the actual yearly savings with Philo vs YouTube TV?
Philo costs $300/year ($25/month × 12) while YouTube TV costs $875.88/year ($72.99/month × 12), resulting in $575.88 annual savings with Philo—a 66% reduction in cost. However, you lose 80+ channels and all sports coverage.
Is YouTube TV's new 2026 customizable plan cheaper than base price?
Yes. YouTube TV announced 2026 updates introducing cheaper, genre-based subscription plans with customizable multiview features. These will undercut the $72.99 standard price, though YouTube TV hasn't released exact pricing for the new tiers as of early 2026.
How does DVR work differently on each service?
Both Philo and YouTube TV offer unlimited DVR storage. Philo automatically records every episode of TV shows, while YouTube TV includes intelligent features like multiview, key plays highlights, and fantasy view integration that Philo lacks.
Which service is better for HGTV, Food Network, and A&E fans?
Philo is specifically optimized for these networks, making it the clear choice for home improvement and cooking enthusiasts. YouTube TV includes these channels but buries them within 150+ others, making Philo the focused option and better value at $25/month.
How to Choose Between Philo and YouTube TV
Monthly Price: Philo has $25/month, while YouTube TV has $72.99/month.
Total Live Channels: Philo has 70+ channels, while YouTube TV has 150+ channels.
Sports Coverage: Philo has Limited (no major sports networks), while YouTube TV has Comprehensive (ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL).
DVR Storage: Philo has Unlimited recordings, while YouTube TV has Unlimited recordings.
Simultaneous Streams: Philo has Up to 3 screens, while YouTube TV has Up to 3 screens.
Primary Channel Focus: Philo has Entertainment, Lifestyle, Home & Garden, while YouTube TV has Broad (News, Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle).
Price Per Channel: Philo has $0.36/channel, while YouTube TV has $0.49/channel.