YouTube and Hulu live TV services making strides
The first reported subscriber numbers, though unofficial, show the new livestreaming services now have hundreds of thousands of paying customers.
Livestreaming services like YouTube TV (shown here) seem to be catching on.
YouTube and Hulu have yet to officially disclose any numbers for their new live TV products, but according to a CNBC report, they're faring well in wooing cord cutters away from cable TV.
The CNBC story on Monday, which cites unnamed sources, says Hulu's livestreaming service has about 450,000 paying subscribers. And YouTube TV has just over 300,000.
Hulu and Google-owned YouTube both declined to comment on the CNBC story. They also declined CNET's request for confirmation and comment.
But if the numbers are accurate, the new services are off to a decent start and seem to confirm US consumers' growing appetite for online live video as an alternative to traditional cable.
The subscriber numbers are still lower than competitor Sling, which pioneered the movement and ComScore estimates has about 2 million subscribers. Also, DirectTV Now last month reportedly said it has 1 million subscribers. But the two have the advantage of being earlier to the market.
YouTube TV , which launched in April, costs $35 a month. Hulu with Live TV , which launched in May, costs $39.99 a month.
