Philo is going back to its roots with a change to its subscription menu.
The streaming service made its name in the live TV streaming industry as a value option for people who don’t need access to live sports or news.
And after a few price hikes in recent years while Philo was building out its bundling options, they’ve decided to do a bit of course correction with a new subscription strategy.
Philo recently announced that it will be offering three tiers of its service moving forward:
Free
Essential ($25 per month)
Bundle+ ($33 per month)
“Today’s streaming audience is diverse,” Philo said via press release. “Viewing preferences, budgets, and expectations vary. Some customers want streamlined live TV at the best possible price. Others want a more expansive entertainment bundle that includes premium apps under one roof. By offering both Essential and Bundle+, Philo empowers customers to choose the package that makes sense for them – with seamless upgrades available at any time.”
All three options are live now for customers to choose. Let’s take a look at what each subscription level offers.
Understanding Philo’s New 3-Tiered Subscription Approach
Upon its 2017 launch, Philo’s mission was clear: Offer an affordable alternative to “full service” live TV streaming services by providing some of the best movie and entertainment channels for a fraction of the price of a YouTube TV or DIRECTV.
This was possible because Philo skipped paying expensive carriage fees for live sports and news channels like ESPN or CNN.
But in an effort to bring in more customers, Philo began to add to its subscription in recent years by doubling the number of channels and bundling video streaming services like AMC+ and discovery+ to its service.
This was still a good value if you wanted all of this content, but it pushed subscription costs above $30 per month. That was more than double the original subscription cost and a tough pill to swallow for streamers who didn’t have much interest in the added services.
So, Philo is offering those customers a chance to return to what they liked by reintroducing a $25 price point for its live channels via the Essential package.
But it’s not ditching the bundling. You still can enjoy a great discount on other services by paying $33 per month for the Bundle+ package.
Here’s how it breaks down:
Philo Free
Did you know that you can count Philo among the many free streaming TV (FAST) services that money expert Clark Howard loves so much?
Philo competes with fellow paid live TV streamers (DIRECTV and Sling TV) in the free TV space alongside brands like Tubi TV and Pluto TV.
This is a shrewd marketing strategy to get you “in the door” and familiar with their platform in case you decide to become a paid tier customer along the way.
We have more information about Philo’s free service here, but here are the quick notes you need to know:
Free access to more than 120 FAST channels
Unlimited DVR for 30 days
No credit card required
Philo Essential
This subscription tier is what many people would call “original” Philo. It has all the great movie and entertainment channels you’ve come to expect at “retro” pricing.
The key specs include:
$25 per month
More than 70 live channels, including all the previously available options
More than 120 free (FAST) channels
More than 80,000 movies and TV shows on demand
Unlimited DVR with one-year storage
7-day free trial for new customers
Philo Bundle+
This is Philo’s premium tier that includes multiple video streaming subscriptions, along with everything you’d enjoy on the Essentials tier.
At just $8 per month more than Essential, you’ll get three streaming subscriptions that could be considered well worth the cost. After all, an HBO Max subscription on its own starts at $11 per month.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’re getting:
$33 per month
Everything listed above for the Essential package, except for the free trial
HBO Max (Basic with ads)
AMC+
discovery+
Are you a Philo customer? Are you happy with the return to a $25 per month plan? Let us know your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
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