YouTube increases Premium price again, says 90-second unskippable ads are a bug
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- YouTube is increasing its Premium subscription prices in the US, with the individual plan rising by $2 to $15.99 per month and the family plan increasing by $4 to $26.99 per month, effective June 7, 2026.
- The Premium Lite subscription, which removes most ads, will also rise by $1 to $8.99 per month, continuing a trend of periodic price hikes since the service's 2015 launch.
- Free users face longer and more frequent ads, including reports of unskippable ads lasting up to 90 seconds, though YouTube attributes these extended ads to a user interface bug and is rolling out a fix.
- YouTube emphasizes that the price increase supports improvements to Premium and creator support, while free viewers must tolerate more ads or consider paid options; alternative ad-blocking methods exist but are actively countered by YouTube.
- The price hikes reflect a broader industry trend, with streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video also raising prices and adjusting features amid rising costs and changing market dynamics.
