Live Streaming TV Service 'Philo' Launches on Apple TV

[MacRumors]

Live streaming television service Philo today launched on the fourth- and fifth-generation Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, after first launching on iPhone, Roku, smart TVs, desktop and web browsers, and more last November.

With the Apple TV app, subscribers can sign into their Philo accounts and watch 40 channels at the cost of $16 per month. The service mainly attracts customers who aren't interested in sports as it has no such channels, which helps to decrease subscription costs.

"Our goal is to build a television service that people love. The expansion onto Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV is a natural extension for us and allows many new people to discover and enjoy Philo, as well as expanding the viewing options for our existing subscribers," explained Andrew McCollum, Philo's CEO. "We're thrilled with the response we've seen to Philo so far, but we're always looking for ways to make it even better, and this is another big step forward in that direction."

With the connected apps -- now including Apple TV -- users can watch their favorite channels live or on demand, pause live TV, restart programs from the beginning, save shows to a 30-day DVR, and watch on up to three devices at once.

The company promises that a native Android app is coming soon, and also announced that it has raised more than $40 million from investors with AMC Networks, Discovery, and Viacom leading its Series C round of funding. The money will go towards "product features" and "enhancements" to Philo, which will soon include a "socially-driven TV experience."

Earlier in the spring, Philo also introduced the ability for subscribers to unlock the streaming apps for TV networks included in their Philo subscription. Now, more than 35 participating TV Everywhere apps support this feature, so that if users pay to stream a channel like AMC on Philo, they can use their Philo log-in within the AMC app to access paywalled content.

Philo's $16/month tier now provides access to 40 channels, including A&E, AMC, BBC America, Lifetime, TLC, Travel Channel, and VH1. There's also a $20/month option that increases the channel count to 49, adding in options like Logo and Nicktoons. Philo's entertainment-focused lineup lacks sports, live news, major broadcast networks, and local channels -- all of which help lower the monthly cost of the service.

Philo's low-cost angle comes in contrast to rival services that include sports and local channels, at a hit to subscribers' wallets since most have announced price hikes in recent months. YouTube TV started off by increasing its cost from $35/month to $40/month to align with Hulu with Live TV and PlayStation Vue's $40/month starting price. Then in July, DirecTV Now announced the increase of all plan prices by $5/month, meaning its cheapest plan also starts at $40/month.

Sling TV's $20/month Sling Orange plan was one of the closest tiers to Philo on the market, but this plan will increase in price as well, jumping to $25/month beginning in August.

Those interested in Philo can download the Apple TV app today on the tvOS App Store, and the service's iOS app [Direct Link] is also available to watch on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Article Link: Live Streaming TV Service 'Philo' Launches on Apple TV

 

[MhzDoesMatter]

I'm still o nthe original Direct TV NOW promotion so I'm getting a decent value but this skinnier bundle is starting to appeal to me more. As much as I deride cable news though, it might be tough not to have it available when I want to see non-stop partisan coverage of something. I may have to give Sling as spin again. It might be the best middle ground.

 

[Defthand]

Their slogan should be: “All the filler channels nobody wants in a convenient package.”

 

[KPandian1]

No TNT and USA even in the upgraded package. Nice that they have BBC World News. Sadly, BBC America is a non-British trashy re-run channel now.

Agree with the "filler" channels nonsense.

 

[tricil]

The $16 bundle is almost every channel Hulu with Live TV *doesn't* have with the overlap exception of the Scripps stuff

 

[MhzDoesMatter]

Their slogan should be: “All the filler channels nobody wants in a convenient package.”

I think you're really wrong on this one. I think these are the exact channels that should be in a bundle. Everyone has a strong niche (Food, HGTV, BET, NICK, LOGO, MTV) and many of them have breakout shows (The Walking Dead, The Daily Show, KUWTK.)

 

[ewkp]

I can not find the iPad version of the philo app. Can anyone confirm that an iPad version exists?

 

[Weku]

If you’re looking for another cheap no sports streaming service, there’s also AT&T’s Watch TV at $15:
https://www.attwatchtv.com/

 

[artfossil]

Their slogan should be: “All the filler channels nobody wants in a convenient package.”

Their slogan could be "Made for ArtFossil" as they offer HGTV, the Food Network and BBC America.

 

[aristobrat]

I think you're really wrong on this one. I think these are the exact channels that should be in a bundle.

For someone that's already somehow recording their local channels, Philo sounds like a good add-on to get most of the other cable channels back, but no SyFy would be the deal-breaker for me.

For folks that aren't somehow already recording their local channels, Philo not having access to shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW seems like it could be a problem...
[doublepost=1531239932][/doublepost]

Their slogan could be "Made for ArtFossil" as they offer HGTV, the Food Network and BBC America.

Are those really the only channels you watch?!

 

[vetman35]

Not giving them my mobile number to look inside the app.

 

[artfossil]

For someone that's already somehow recording their local channels, Philo sounds like a good add-on to get most of the other cable channels back, but no SyFy would be the deal-breaker for me.

For folks that aren't somehow already recording their local channels, Philo not having access to shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW seems like it could be a problem...
[doublepost=1531239932][/doublepost]
Are those really the only channels you watch?!

Those are seriously the only things I would watch on "TV" if I had TV. (Had Sling for awhile). I also follow MLB but that's a separate app . . . .
(But I also watch--or purchase--series on Amazon Prime pretty frequently. A mix of original content, BBC series and some network shows. I prefer to binge watch when possible, hence the appeal of Amazon Prime. But the Philo channels I noted would cover most of that.)

 

[picaman]

If you’re looking for another cheap no sports streaming service, there’s also AT&T’s Watch TV at $15:
https://www.attwatchtv.com/

Apparently Watch TV saves money by only including channels through the letter “I”. That or their channel list won’t scroll on my phone

 

[RobNYC]

No TNT and USA even in the upgraded package. Nice that they have BBC World News. Sadly, BBC America is a non-British trashy re-run channel now.

Agree with the "filler" channels nonsense.

It's really disappointing that with the exception of Graham Norton and maybe Doctor Who, the rest of the channel is pretty much American shows or movies. That channel was so much better in the mid aughts when it was pretty much all British Shows.

 

[ewkp]

I am very surprised that this topic doesn’t have more comments.

I use philo as a complement to my YouTube TV service. But from reading various comment sections, it seems like most people are accepting or rejecting it based on whether it can be their only TV package.

Is anyone using it as a complemental service like me?

 

[tricil]

I am very surprised that this topic doesn’t have more comments.

I use philo as a complement to my YouTube TV service. But from reading various comment sections, it seems like most people are accepting or rejecting it based on whether it can be their only TV package.

Is anyone using it as a complemental service like me?

I do. the channel list is complete in the Apple TV with Hulu as my SSO and then Philo for the Viacom, Discovery, and AMC stuff. The only thing I can't login to is Turner/TBS/TNT which I do have with Hulu Live TV but doesn't support authentication via the network yet.

 

[ewkp]

I do. the channel list is complete in the Apple TV with Hulu as my SSO and then Philo for the Viacom, Discovery, and AMC stuff. The only thing I can't login to is Turner/TBS/TNT which I do have with Hulu Live TV but doesn't support authentication via the network yet.

I have the same situation with YouTube TV. I would love to be able to use my login to access TBS/TNT/CNN. I am hoping that will happen now that the ATT merger has gone through. But now the Justice Department is trying to mess with that, so...

 

[tricil]

I have the same situation with YouTube TV. I would love to be able to use my login to access TBS/TNT/CNN. I am hoping that will happen now that the ATT merger has gone through. But now the Justice Department is trying to mess with that, so...

Speaking of mergers and streaming services, If Disney completes the Fox buy, Sling will have to combine Orange and Blue.

 

[ewkp]

Speaking of mergers and streaming services, If Disney completes the Fox buy, Sling will have to combine Orange and Blue.

Why?

 

[tricil]

Why?

Sorry I missed this.

Disney = Sling Blue (or orange?)
Fox = Sling Orange

If disney buys fox (which it's looking like they will), they won't need to offer the separate plans.

 

[mollyc]

Are any more of you using Philo yet? We are thinking of cutting the cable cord. My husband bought an antenna that gets us any local broadcast channels we need, so we just need to replace some of the cable channels. We are not huge tv people and already have Amazon Prime and Netflix. If we were to go to something like Sling Blue/Orange or Hulu we wouldn't be saving any money over what we pay now for FIOS. My husband doesn't care about any sports packages; he can either stream them to his computer if needed or find a buddy to go out and watch a game.