YouTube expands Premium Lite rollout and promotes extended bundle trials amid price hike

YouTube raised its Premium subscription prices in April 2026, with the individual plan moving to $15.99 a month and the family plan to $26.99. To soften the increase, Google and partner carriers are offering longer free‑trial bundles: Google One subscribers at the 2 TB tier can add Premium for about $11.99 a month after a one‑month trial; Google Fi Unlimited Plus customers receive six months free; and Best Buy Plus or Total members get three months free with their membership.

Separately, YouTube announced that its lower‑cost Premium Lite tier has been expanded to 63 countries and territories, up from earlier coverage, but remains unavailable in 57 markets where full Premium and Music Premium already operate. Premium Lite removes ads from most standard video content and provides background playback and offline downloads, but it does not cover music videos, Shorts, or YouTube Music, which continue to show ads.

The combined moves aim to retain subscribers by offering more affordable or trial options while gradually extending the Lite service to a broader global audience.