fuboTV is a good option for streaming live TV over the internet, but it won’t be the best option for all individuals and households. There are many reasons why one service might be better than others, and the importance of these reasons will come down to the unique needs (and budget) of the subscriber. However, with services like fuboTV, there are also enough general pros and cons that may sway a consumer one way or the other.
A fuboTV subscription provides access to live TV channels and on-demand content over the internet and the cost starts at $64.99 per month. Depending on how much a user agrees to pay each month will determine the channel selection they have access to. This is in addition to how many devices they can stream on at the same time as well as how many hours of cloud DVR recording space they get.
Overall, fuboTV is going to be a suitable live TV streaming service for many households and especially when compared to the competition. For those seriously considering a switch to fuboTV then it might be worth checking out the full review. For those more interested in an overview of what works and what’s worth being aware of before signing up, here’s a summary of the main benefits and limitations.
The pros of fuboTV
One of the benefits of fuboTV is the options available. Although subscribers to services like Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV can add premium networks or additional features to their plan, both only offer one main live TV subscription. In contrast, and similar to Sling TV, fuboTV does offer more than one plan to choose from making it simple for consumers to pick the one that’s right for them and their budget. Even at the add-on level, fuboTV offers plenty of additional channel packs that can increase the channel selection further. While probably not to the same level as Sling TV, fuboTV is a highly customizable service overall.
In general, the selection of channels can also be considered a positive. While all of the main live TV streaming services are likely to be missing some channels an individual subscriber wants access to, fuboTV does come with a decent selection overall and the channel lineup should appeal to many members of the same household. In particular, fuboTV is a solid solution for live sports and it is likely to be one of the best options for any homes that want access to as many sports channels as possible. Regional sports networks might prove an issue for some, but this is a problem that seems to be affecting most, if not all of the major live TV streaming services right now. In comparison to the others, however, fuboTV comes with a great level of sports coverage at the base subscription level.
Another benefit of fuboTV is the user experience. Put simply, fuboTV does a lot right and its apps are fairly simple to use. They are not overly-complicated but, at the same time, the apps cater well to finding content to watch without over simplifying the process. The apps also tend to be fairly reliable in general, with very few issues noted during testing. In this sense, it is a live TV streaming service that just works. Furthermore, the fuboTV website is equally as easy to use. This is of particular importance considering that many of the major changes to an account, including canceling a subscription or adding more features, tend to be completed through the web interface. Although it is an inconvenience to not have the same degree of account management through the apps, the ease of website use makes fuboTV account management simple enough.
The cons of fuboTV
The first and most obvious fuboTV con is the price. At $64.99 per month, fuboTV is hardly a cheap service. Not to mention, that’s only the starting price with the actual monthly cost likely to be a lot higher if additional features, storage or streams are needed. In fairness, a fuboTV subscription is not any more expensive than a Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV subscription, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that it is an expensive service in general. For those that are particularly interested in keeping the live TV costs as low as possible then a service like Sling TV is likely to be a much better option. Lowering the price is likely to affect the experience, and the channel lineup, but there are options to keep the price low with Sling TV and there aren’t with fuboTV. Therefore, while fuboTV’s options is one of its strengths, the lack of a low-cost option is one of its weaknesses.
Arguably, the value on offer is another general con. For example, while a fuboTV subscription costs the same as Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV, both of the other services will likely offer more value to some consumers. For example, a Hulu Live TV plan includes the ad-supported basic Hulu on-demand subscription at no additional cost, resulting in a saving of $6.99 per month. If a consumer is already paying for basic Hulu and plans to continue paying each month, then that additional cost will have to be added to the fuboTV base price. Likewise, YouTube TV includes an unlimited cloud DVR, making it possible to record as much content as the subscriber wants without worrying. Although there are some limitations with YouTube TV’s DVR, fuboTV subscribers will be limited in how much they can record. This is even the case when upgrading to and paying for one of the more expensive live TV plans.
Another point to be aware of is the quality of the resolution in general. fuboTV is currently experimenting with 4K support, but it still remains fairly limited. What’s more, that doesn’t mean most will be resigned to 1080p. If watching live TV, then most will actually have to work with 720p as the highest resolution overall, and this extends to when recording live TV content as well. Considering fuboTV makes a major play for live sports, this is likely to be one of the more obvious hurdles to overcome, and especially if often watching live sports on a larger TV.
Weighing up fuboTV’s pros and cons
If looking for a live TV service that’s reliable and easy to use, then fuboTV is going to be one worth considering. Likewise, if the selection of channels matter, then fuboTV is also likely to appeal to many households, and especially to those with sports fans. However, there are plenty of points to be aware of before signing up to fuboTV, including the resolution of live TV, as well as the streams and recording limitations.
Overall, fuboTV’s base plan is just that – a base plan. Everything offered at the $64.99 per month price is done well, but the base plan limits consumers in a number of ways. Removing some of these limitations will require paying more each month, and even then, subscribers may find they are still not to the level of other services. If the base fuboTV plan offers enough of what a subscriber needs, then it is worth giving the live TV service a try. Otherwise, it may be worth looking elsewhere before signing up.
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