Is Fubo’s cheaper “Essential” plan worth it?

If you have no interest in watching regional sports networks, Fubo no longer requires you to pay for them.

This week, the live TV streaming service introduced a new tier called “Fubo Essential.” While it has the same $80-per-month advertised price as the “Fubo Pro” plan, it excludes regional sports channels such as Fanduel Sports Network, and therefore does not have Fubo’s usual regional sports fees. Depending on where you live, those fees would add at least $12 per month to the total price.

The regional sports-free option brings Fubo’s pricing more in line with other top live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV ($73 per month) and Hulu + Live TV ($83 per month), but it also cuts out one of Fubo’s defining features. Is the service still worth considering without regional sports? Let’s dig in.

This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best live TV streaming services.

Fubo Essential vs. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV

All three services are effectively replacements for a large cable TV package, with a wide range of pay TV channels, including local stations, cable news, and national sports channels.

But in all cases, there are notable omissions. YouTube TV does not include channels owned by A&E, including Lifetime and History. Hulu + Live TV does not include AMC or WeTV.

In Fubo’s case, the gaps in its channel selection are larger. It doesn’t include AMC or any of A&E’s channels, but it’s also missing every channel from Warner Bros. Discovery. That means no TNT, TBS, CNN, TruTV, HGTV, Discovery, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network, or TLC. Those are some major omissions, especially given TNT’s coverage of the NBA, NHL, and March Madness. (This channel list from The Streamable is instructive for seeing which popular channels each service carries.)

Yes, Fubo does offer Bein Sports, which isn’t available with Hulu + Live TV and requires an $11-per-month Sports Extra add-on with YouTube. But Fubo also charges $8 per month extra for SEC Network and ESPNU, which the other services offer in their base packages.

Fubo’s only distinct programming advantage is that it offers NBA TV, MLB Network, and NHL Network as part of the aforementioned $8-per-month add-on. YouTube TV offers NBA TV in its base package, and Hulu + TV includes MLB Network, but neither offer the full trifecta.

Compared to Fubo at $80 per month, YouTube TV offers more for your money right now, with more popular cable channels and a lower price of $73 per month. And while Hulu + Live TV is a bit pricier at $83 per month, it also includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu’s on-demand catalog at no extra charge. It’s a better value if you plan to pay for any of those services individually.

Beyond the lineup

In lieu of a superior channel selection, Fubo must compete on the quality of its service.

On that note, Fubo’s best feature is Multiview, which lets you watch up to four channels at the same time on Apple TV boxes and the latest Roku Ultra. (Some older Roku models also support Multiview, but only with two simultaneous channels.)

While YouTube TV also supports Multiview—and it works on any streaming device—it imposes limits on which channels you can put together. Fubo’s version works with any live TV channel. (Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer Multiview at all.)

Fubo also has a generous limit on simultaneous streams, letting you watch on up to 10 devices at a time at home and three devices remotely. The limits with YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are three at a time and two at a time respectively.

That said, Fubo does not let you watch remotely on a TV if someone’s already watching at home. YouTube TV doesn’t have that restriction, but requires periodic check-ins at home to discourage password sharing. Hulu + Live TV doesn’t allow out-of-home viewing on TV devices at all.

Both Fubo and YouTube TV also offer 4K add-ons, but the number of events that broadcast in 4K are woefully limited, and you can’t add 4K to Fubo without also taking regional sports. (Fubo at least has the decency to disclose which events are in 4K.)

Beyond that, Fubo’s interface is easy to navigate and it does a nice job highlighting live sports. Like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, it includes a cloud-based DVR service that lets you record an unlimited number of programs for up to nine months.

The DVR does have one distinct advantage over YouTube TV in particular: You’re allowed to create one-off DVR recordings and delete individual episodes, even for series recordings. YouTube TV takes a different approach, requiring you to add every episode to your DVR library and providing no way to remove them. Some cable converts can’t stand that.

Other alternatives

Fubo, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV aren’t the only ways to replace a cable bundle. DirecTV Stream offers more channels for more money (starting at $93 per month), while Sling TV, Philo, and Frndly TV provide skinnier lineups for less. Those who are sufficiently fed up with the prices of these live TV streaming services can also consider unbundling entirely.

But now that regional sports aren’t mandatory, Fubo is at least a more compelling drop-in replacement for cable than it used to be. Unlike with YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, you also have option to add regional sports for a few months of the year without needing to switch services or turn to more expensive standalone options. If you can live without the Warner channels and care more about DVR and Multiview than saving a few bucks over YouTube TV, it’s worth a fresh look.

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