- YouTube is testing a new subscription tier. The plan lets two people watch videos without ads at a rate below the existing family rate, which covers up to five people. The plan is not currently being tested in the U.S.
YouTube is testing a new sort of premium subscription tier to let people watch videos without ads. This one, however, covers more than one person without the expense of a family plan.
The new option, which is being tested in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, offers premium subscriptions to two people. The cost is lower than what two individual plans would cost, but below the amount of a family plan.
Because the plan is being tested in different countries, there is no fixed price to give at this time, but in the U.S. an individual plan costs $14 per month, while a family plan (for up to five people) is $23 per month. Should the program begin testing in the U.S., the price will likely fall in between those amounts.
“We’re experimenting with new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers, including offering a two-person Premium plan option, allowing two people to share a subscription at a reduced cost,” a YouTube spokesperson confirmed in a statement to TechCrunch.
While the two-person subscription is not currently available to American viewers, YouTube did launch a new lower-price option in March called Premium Lite, which lets users watch “most” videos without ads for $8 per month.
YouTube isn’t the only streaming service to address couples. Spotify recently launched Spotify Duo, letting two people at the same address listen to separate streams ad-free for a reduced price. Max, meanwhile, recently added an extra member add-on program, letting people add another person onto their subscription for $8 more per month.
