YouTube has officially expanded its Premium Lite pilot to users in the United States. Jack Greenberg, Director of Product Management for YouTube Premium, stated that YouTube Premium Lite offers a more affordable way for viewers to watch most YouTube videos without ads. This rollout aligns with YouTube Music and Premium surpassing 125 million subscribers worldwide, including trial users.
Greenberg emphasized that YouTube aims to provide multiple ways for users to enjoy content, and expanding Premium Lite is part of that initiative. He also mentioned that this move creates additional revenue opportunities for creators and partners.
Premium Lite has been tested to strike a balance for viewers who want ad-free videos across various genres, such as gaming, cooking, comedy, and educational content. However, for features like ad-free music, offline playback, and background play, users must opt for the full YouTube Premium plan. While Premium Lite removes ads from most videos, ads may still appear on music content, YouTube Shorts, and search and browsing pages.
The subscription is priced at US$7.99 (approximately ~₹695) per month in the U.S., compared to the standard YouTube Premium plan at US$13.99 (approximately ~1,217). It works across devices, and YouTube plans to extend Premium Lite to all users in its current pilot markets, including Thailand, Germany, and Australia, in the coming weeks.
Greenberg added that YouTube intends to expand Premium Lite to more countries this year while exploring new ways to enhance user subscriptions.
