YouTube Premium Subscription fee hike and nearly two minutes of unskippable ads for TV viewers make users FURIOUS
YouTube users are reacting strongly to rising Premium subscription prices in the US, and longer unskippable TV ads, which make the experience similar to cable TV. The platform is pushing for higher revenue through subscriptions and advertising changes, far from its creator community origins.
YouTube users get a double whammy treatment
Many YouTube users in the US are fuming amid news of twin changes: a rise in YouTube Premium subscription prices and long, unskippable ads nearing two minutes for those who access the video streaming platform via television screens. These two issues have become the biggest drivers of user fury this month.
YouTube Premium US subscription price hike: What are the new costs?
YouTube Premium price increases in the US were rolled out quietly via emails to subscribers on April 10. There was no public announcement or press release from YouTube, Google or their parent company Alphabet.
The new costs are effective from the next billing cycle, some as soon as May 16.
The individual subscription will rise to $15.99 a month from $13.99.
Family subscriptions, where up to six accounts are possible, will rise to $26.99 per month from $22.99.
The annual subscription will be $159.99, up from $139.99.
Premium Lite will cost $8.99 a month, up from $7.99. Reports said that for those accessing from Apple devices, the App Store cost will be added. For them, individual YouTube Premium subscription costs would rise to around $20.99.
Why is YouTube charging more for its Premium subscriptions?
As per YouTube emails, the official reason is to “continue delivering great service and features… improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch.”
The price hikes are meant to keep up with market changes, inflation and local taxes, and to improve Premium while supporting creators.
Long unskippable ads on TV: The other major YouTube change irking users
Starting around April 7, the YouTube app on smart TVs, streaming devices and Google TV began showing much longer unskippable ad blocks, many running for nearly two minutes. These frequent 90-plus-second ad blocks contained multiple 15–30 second ads back to back.
Officially, YouTube has denied rolling out a 90-second ad block format, but complaints are spreading on Reddit and elsewhere on social media, especially from users of Samsung TVs and similar sets.
The TV ad changes are being explained as giving advertisers better Connected TV (CTV) formats that mimic traditional commercial breaks, using AI targeting.
Google had previewed a 30-second “Connceted TV only” format for pre-roll ads in March, but this appears to have gone beyond that.
‘Corporate greed’: Have recent YouTube experiments gone too far? Users are livid
Users are livid as there is no identifiable new benefit from the increased subscription fee for YouTube Premium. Many did not like the fact that the rollout was done silently. Reportedly, many Premium subscribers cancelled immediately.
On social media, users are slamming corporate greed at YouTube, while others called the moves blasphemy that left them speechless.
Some expressed the sentiment that YouTube is not worth watching on TV anymore.
One user said, “They make the free experience worse with ads, then jack up Premium prices at the same time.”
In recent months, YouTube has rolled out many changes at dizzying speed, including algorithm shifts, demonetisation of certain types of channels, and crackdowns on ad blockers.
Is YouTube facing revenue pressures?
Observers think YouTube is going through a combination of revenue pressure and platform “enshittification”, in which the free experience is made worse, in order to drive more users to subscription plans.
YouTube’s ad business is massive, estimated at over $40 billion in recent full-year figures, bigger than traditional players such as Disney, NBC, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery combined.
However, the last quarter of 2025 missed expectations and growth slowed year-on-year, partly due to lower political ad spend. Overall YouTube revenue — ads plus subscriptions — topped $60 billion for 2025, but the company is pushing for more.
The hope appears to be that making free viewing more painful will lead more users to subscribe, as that revenue stream is less volatile than ads and already brings in billions.
YouTube ‘greed’: Rising content, AI, infra costs push it to profits over community?
TV viewing is a major growth area for YouTube. Longer unskippable ads on TV mean more ad inventory and higher completion rates for advertisers. Google wants YouTube on TV to feel more like cable, with built-in commercial breaks.
On the other hand, content costs are rising, especially for YouTube TV live channels. YouTube is estimated to be spending up to $185 billion in 2026 on AI and capital expenditure amid competition from other streamers.
In this situation, YouTube is squeezing both ends of the viewers: more intrusive ads for non-subscribers and higher prices for subscribers to protect and grow revenue in a maturing, high-cost environment.
On the flipside, users are now revolting, with interest in ad blockers and alternatives to YouTube growing.
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