YouTube TV Promo Offers Up Google’s New Chromecast

By Daniel Frankel
( NextTV )
published

New users get the $50 OTT device free when they sign up for the virtual MVPD

(Image credit: Google)

Google’s new Chromecast dongle has been on the market for less than a week, and already the company’s YouTube TV service is using it as promotional fodder. 

From October 15 - December 31, those who sign up for YouTube TV and pay the full $64.99 first-month freight will receive a free Chromecast with Google TV HDMI dongle, which retails for $49.99. 

Chromecast with Google TV adds a modified version of Google’s Android TV, plus a remote control, to the company’s legacy Chromecast device. It’s the first device to run Google TV, which eventually displace Android TV on third-party OTT devices and enabled smart TVs, as well.

Also read: Google Officially Rebrands Android TV as Google TV

Although Google TV adds a range of new features to Android TV, the basic accoutrements remain the same: access to the Google Play Store and Google Assistant. 

YouTube TV had around 2 million subscribers as of the end of the second quarter, putting the platform on pace to soon surpass Sling TV as the No. 2 virtual pay TV service in the U.S., trailing only Hulu with Live TV. 

Outside of offering free trials, giving away OTT devices has been a useful signup driver for virtual MVPDs. With its new Chromecast, Google now has an in-house option.

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!