Philo, the longtime streaming pay-TV provider, has added a cheaper subscription tier.
The Essential plan, which lit up Tuesday, costs $25 a month. That’s $8 cheaper than Bundle+, which adds access to the ad-supported versions of streaming services HBO Max, Discovery+ and AMC+.
A 7-day trial is available for Essential, but not for Bundle+.
The move follows a leadership change at Philo, which has more than 1 million subscribers. Andrew McCollum, a co-founder of Facebook who led the company for 11 years and spearheaded its transition from college dorm service to commercial provider, handed the CEO baton to Mike Keyserling. The new chief exec worked at HBO and Time Warner before arriving at Philo.
Philo is the last surviving independent streaming pay-TV operator, after Roku acquired Frndly and Disney took a controlling stake in Fubo.
Unlike its larger rivals, Philo does not include broadcast channels in its lineup of 70-plus channels, instead focusing on general entertainment. That has enabled it to keep its costs manageable and bring the Essential plan to market at $10 or more below competing options. YouTube TV, which has risen from startup to industry power in less than a decade, has not been shy about raising prices. Along with other streaming providers like Hulu + Live TV and Sling, it has hiked rates multiple times in recent years. Recently, it has rolled out genre packages, as have DirecTV and other operators, though many of the slimmed-down offerings are priced higher than Philo.
Philo’s Essential plan includes more than 120 FAST channels along with its main channel lineup, plus access to more than 80,000 on-demand titles and unlimited DVR with storage up to one year.
In an interview with Deadline, Keyserling said the company is proud to be independent but would consider any overtures from potential partners.
McCollum, who is now executive chairman at Philo, said its focus continues to be on remaining “a different kind of tech and entertainment company, one driven by innovation, authenticity, and an uncompromising focus on the customers we serve.”
English (US) ·