Ultimate Guide to YouTube TV’s AMC+ and MGM+

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Let’s be real. You cut the cord and switched to YouTube TV to simplify your life, but with the base plan now sitting at $82.99 a month, that initial promise of “cheap TV” is starting to feel a little heavy. The service is robust, sure—but when you hit a paywall for a buzzy new vampire show or a sci-fi horror hit you’re dying to see, clicking “subscribe” feels riskier than it used to. Are these add-ons actually worth pushing your monthly bill toward the triple digits? Spoiler alert: Only one of them is a “must-have” for movie buffs, while the other is strictly for the superfans.

Here is the breakdown of whether AMC+ and MGM+ are worth the extra squeeze on your wallet.

The “YouTube TV Integration” Factor

Before diving into the specific channels, it’s essential to understand why you would buy them through YouTube TV rather than downloading their standalone apps.

There are two significant advantages to keeping it within the YouTube TV ecosystem:

  1. The Single Pane of Glass (and Bill): It’s just easier—one monthly payment, one password, and one interface. You don’t have to switch inputs on your TV or jump between different apps to find what you want to watch.
  2. The Live Guide and DVR: This is the killer feature. When you subscribe to AMC+ or MGM+ via YouTube TV, you don’t just get their on-demand library; you usually get access to their live, linear streaming channels integrated right into your main YouTube TV guide.
    • Crucially, this means you can use YouTube TV’s unlimited cloud DVR to record content from these add-ons.

Deep Dive: AMC+

AMC+ is often misunderstood. Many people think, “I already get the AMC channel in my base YouTube TV package, why would I pay extra for the Plus version?”

AMC+ is not just the AMC channel on demand. It is a “bundle of bundles.” It is an aggregator explicitly targeted at fans of genre TV, prestige drama, and horror.

What’s Included?

When you subscribe to AMC+, you are effectively getting the premium, ad-free content from:

  • AMC (The Walking Dead Universe, Interview with the Vampire, Mayfair Witches, Dark Winds)
  • Shudder (The premier streaming service for horror, thriller, and supernatural fans)
  • Sundance Now (True crime, indie thrillers, and prestigious international dramas)
  • IFC Films Unlimited (Independent cinema)

The Cost on YTTV: Typically $9.99/month (after a free trial).

The Pros:

  • Early Access: You often get new episodes of marquee AMC shows a few days before they air on regular cable TV.
  • The Shudder Library: If you are a horror fan, Shudder alone is almost worth the price of admission. It has excellent original movies and deep cuts from its catalog.
  • No Ads: The on-demand content is ad-free.

The Cons:

  • Confusing overlap: Sometimes shows you think should be there (like older seasons of Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul) are actually licensed to Netflix.

The Verdict on AMC+:

Subscribe if: You are a die-hard horror fan (for Shudder), or you are fully invested in the “Anne Rice Immortal Universe” or the various Walking Dead spin-offs and want them ad-free and early.

Skip it if: You only casually watch AMC’s main channel and don’t mind commercials.

Deep Dive: MGM+

MGM+ is the service formerly known as Epix. After Amazon bought MGM, it rebranded the service. It positions itself somewhere between a premium cable channel (like HBO or Showtime) and a classic movie repository.

What’s Included?

MGM+ relies on the massive Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer back catalog, alongside a growing slate of surprisingly strong original programming.

  • Original Series: From (a breakout sci-fi horror hit), Godfather of Harlem, Billy the Kid, and Rogue Heroes.
  • Movie Library: A deep rotation of blockbuster movies and classics. Think the James Bond catalog, the Rocky franchise, and hundreds of other recognizable titles that rotate in and out.

The Cost on YTTV: Typically $7.99/month (after a free trial).

The Pros:

  • The Price Point: At roughly $8, it’s one of the cheaper premium add-ons available.
  • Underrated Originals: From is currently one of the best horror/mysteries on TV that not enough people are talking about. Godfather of Harlem is also excellent prestige TV.
  • Great Movie Browsing: It feels like walking through an old Blockbuster video store. You’ll always find something solid to watch on a Friday night.

The Cons:

  • Lacks “Watercooler” Buzz: Aside from perhaps From, MGM+ doesn’t have the massive cultural juggernauts that define services like Max or Netflix.
  • Rotating Content: The movie library is great, but titles leave frequently due to licensing deals.

The Verdict on MGM+:

Subscribe if: You want a solid, inexpensive “movie channel” add-on to supplement your live TV, or you want to binge the excellent series From.

Skip it if: You already have Netflix, Max, and Prime Video and feel overwhelmed by movie choices.

Final Thoughts: The Combined Cost Reality

YouTube TV is a fantastic service, but the price creep is real. Before adding these on, do a quick budget check.

If you add both AMC+ ($10) and MGM+ ($8) to your base YouTube TV subscription ($82.99), your monthly total is now $100+ a month before taxes.

Are they worth crossing that $100 threshold?

Yes, but conditionally. Don’t subscribe to them just to “have them.” Subscribe with intent.

  • Grab MGM+ for a month or two to binge “From” and watch some Bond movies, then cancel.
  • Grab AMC+ when the new season of “Interview with the Vampire” drops, watch it ad-free, and then churn out.

The beauty of YouTube TV’s add-on system is the ease of cancellation. Use these services as temporary boosters to your entertainment lineup, rather than permanent monthly fixtures.