Are you a YouTube TV subscriber who also enjoys the premium streaming options of services like HBO Max?
The good news for you is that the popular live streaming TV service just unveiled a new “Entertainment Plus” bundle that may be worth exploring.
Details on YouTube TV’s New “Entertainment Plus” Bundle
YouTube TV users can now subscribe to three premium services for an additional $29.99 per month.
The new Entertainment Plus Bundle includes access to HBO Max, Showtime and Starz.
This add-on service is a charge in addition to YouTube TV’s monthly subscription fee, which has crept up from $35 to $65 in the last few years.
If you subscribed to all three separately as add-on services with YouTube TV, they would cost approximately $34.99.
| Entertainment Plus Bundled Services | Regular Monthly Charge on YouTube TV |
| HBO Max | $14.99 |
| Showtime | $11 |
| Starz | $9 |
This package will save you $5 per month over subscribing to all three independently.
What You’re Getting with HBO Max, Showtime and Starz Subscriptions
If you’re not already a fan on these three premium streaming add-ons, let’s take a quick look at what each offers:
HBO Max
This is the headliner in this bundle. With a normal monthly price of $14.99, HBO Max debuted in 2020 as AT&T and WarnerMedia’s answer to competing with on-demand streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.
That’s one of the most expensive non-live video streaming services on the market, so it better be good, right?
HBO Max delivers with the complete library of HBO originals like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and more.
But it also has exclusive streaming rights to major television hits such as Friends and The Big Bang Theory.
It also has Max Originals, which includes DC Superheroes content.
And, in 2021, you’re getting access to Warner Bros. new film releases on the same day that they debut in theaters.
You can read our in-depth review of the HBO Max service here.
Showtime
If HBO is the Batman of premium TV addons, we sould probably consider Showtime as Robin. For a long time, Showtime has been viewed as HBO’s premium TV sidekick.
So in that way, it makes sense that this new entertainment bundle would include the marquee streaming product for each.
This service is not quite as good as HBO Max, but it does have some qualities that make it worth consideration:
Top Hits on Showtime
- Billions (Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis)
- Dexter (Michael C. Hall)
- Homeland (Claire Danes)
- Your Honor (Bryan Cranston)
- Shameless (William H. Macy)
- The Good Lord Bird (Ethan Hawke)
Starz
Another longtime cable TV favorite is included in this bundle.
Starz is known for its extensive on-demand library of movies, but it also features some original television series that may be worth checking out.
Some of the top exclusive content options include:
- Outlander
- Men in Kilts
- American Gods
- The Luminaries
- Power
Final Thoughts
Before you make your final decision on this offer, here are some things to consider:
If You’re Unsure, Try Free Trials First
Let’s be honest: A $29.99 monthly commitment is a pretty big deal.
Especially when you’re adding it on to an already steep $65 monthly charge for YouTube TV.
So I poked around the services and found that you may be able to test drive each of these services before committing to this monthly add-on fee.
According to YouTube TV’s menu, there are free trials available for all three services in this bundle.
You may be able to find an even longer free trial period by shopping with the streaming services directly:
| Entertainment Plus Bundle Services | Free Trial Period on YouTube TV | Free Trial Period Direct Through Services |
| HBO Max | 7 days | Discontinued at the moment, but there is a $20 discount for a 6 month prepayment |
| Showtime | 5 days | 30 days |
| Starz | 5 days | None, but there is a promotional deal of $5 per month for 6 months. |
Using Direct Offers Makes Things Cheaper For the First 6 Months
During my research, I came across welcome offers for all three services included in the bundle.
If you’ve never been a customer of any of them, there’s a good chance that you could actually save more money by doing business with them directly for the first six months.
As mentioned in the table above, HBO Max is offering a 20% discount for a six month commitment, Showtime is offering a free month and Starz is offering six months at $5 each.
Here’s how it works out after doing the math:
| Payment Type | Total Cost for Six Months |
| YouTube TV Promotion | $179.94 (6 installments of $29.99) |
| Direct subscriptions utilizing welcome promotions from HBO Max, Showtime and Starz | $154.94 |
It’s worth noting that you can cancel any of these services at any time whether they’re connected to your YouTube TV account or not.
So after six months, you could easily switch over to the YouTube TV Entertainment Plus bundle to save money going forward.
Bottom Line
If you’re already an existing subscriber of one or more the service on the Entertainment Plus bundle, you may be able to save some cash by converting to this offer from YouTube TV.
If you’re new to one or more of these services, you may want to opt for the free trials offered by either YouTube TV or the service directly to make sure that you’re actually interested in the service.
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