Advice needed: Trying to use ID.me First Responder discount on a very old plan—Support says "Cancel & Restart" - Afraid I'll lose my current plan.
Hey everyone, I need some clarity before I accidentally nuke my account. I’ve been a YouTube TV member for years. I have a Base Plan from at least 5 years ago which currently gives me 167 channels and 5 family sharing slots.
I just found out about the ID.me First Responder discount ($15/mo off for a year). I’ve already verified my credentials on ID.me, but since I’m an existing member, the website won’t let me apply it.
I contacted support, and they told me I have to "Cancel and Restart" to trigger the discount. They claim I’ll keep all my "benefits" as long as I use the same email.
**The Red Flag:** I opened a private tab to see what a "New Member" actually gets today (May 2026). The new "Main Plan" is only 140 channels for the same price I'm paying now ($82.99). If I cancel my 167-channel plan, it looks like I’m going to lose 27 channels immediately, including: Collegiate Sports: ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network (which seem to be moved to a $15 add-on now). Legacy Networks: A&E, AMC, and others that aren't in the new "140-channel" lineup. My Questions: Has anyone with an older (grandfathered in/legacy/whatever you wanna call it) 167-channel plan successfully canceled and restarted without losing those grandfathered channels?
Or did the system force you onto the new 2026 "Genre" bundles?
Has anyone succesfully gotten a Billing Supervisor to manually apply the ID.me credit to an active legacy account so you don't have to risk the cancel/restart loop? The chat agent said he asked about manually adding the discount but he can't because its an ongoing discount and not a promo.
I’m currently Paused while I figure this out. I’d rather keep my 167 channels than save $15 and lose my sports and family slots. Any teachers, first responders, or veterans run into this?
Thanks!