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.
