New Streaming TV Service 'Philo' Launches at $16/Month for Viewers Not Interested in Sports Content

[Jwhite1]

Might be interesting to do that. I'm not sure which stations (if any) I'd get over the air, but could save me quite a bit of money.

Give it a shot. I finally talked my parents into trying streaming tv after they were fed up with paying $200/month for cable (I’d been using streaming services for a couple years). I gave them a $10 antenna from big lots and they did the free trial with DTVNow. They couldn’t believe how well it worked for them. They’re not big sports fans (I am) so pairing this service with the antenna would be perfect for them. Not to mention the “DVR” is an upgrade over DTVNow at a lower cost. The nice thing about these services is if you try it and decide against it, there’s no contract and you’re only out the $16, then free to move to whatever you want.

PS: I don’t get local channels with an antenna where I live like they do (they live in a big city, I live in the country). I’m actually jealous of how nice and clear the locals look that they pick up. It’s worth trying, you’d be surprised how many channels you can pick up depending where you live.

 

[hsoj1006]

Nope. It's gonna be expensive. Sports content is by far the most expensive, with ESPN being far and away the most expensive channel in all cable subscriptions.

Yes, FUBO. It was advertised all throughout the Fall during the World Series and the start of the NFL season.

 

[shinji]

Might consider this when/if it comes to FireTV, just wish they'd add more news channels.

 

[nburwell]

This will be very tempting once CFB and NFL seasons are over. Although they will need to release an Apple TV app before I consider switching from PS Vue.

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

No CNN? Where will i get my leftist propagranda now?

It’s a vast right-wing conspiracy!

 

[rumplestiltskin]

Add CNN and it might compete nicely against SlingTV. But with no news channels, why should I switch?

 

[Sill]

Add CNN and it might compete nicely against SlingTV. But with no news channels, why should I switch?

Email them and suggest it. They're really responsive to email comments. I think it would be great if they offered a selection of news channels - MSNBC, FOX, CNN, etc - and let the customer choose one, or maybe two. Right now, I'm waiting for the Apple TV app from them, and I'll probably sign up. DirecTVNow is a pretty good service, but its more than twice the cost of Philo, still subsidizing unwanted sports channels, and no DVR.

 

[gavroche]

Hey.... slight tangent... but how does Sling get away with calling their service “a la carte”? I mean, they have their orange tier or blue tier. How is this a la carte? how is it even more option that any other cable service?

 

[Sill]

Hey.... slight tangent... but how does Sling get away with calling their service “a la carte”? I mean, they have their orange tier or blue tier. How is this a la carte? how is it even more option that any other cable service?

Because... marketing. By eliminating the thousand channel packages that no one wants, and hanging the term "ala carte" on a small selection of channels, they get people to jump on the wagon. I'm slightly amazed that no company has decided to offer this as "boutique" selections of "curated channels", and capture all the food-inna-box crowd.

The ideal system would be one where content providers can offer their channels in a stream, with commercials embedded, and viewers can then decide if the content is worth signing up for. Then pick channels off a list and build our own deals.

 

[hjb2021]

I am currently subscribing to Philo. I love it. Every channel I am interested in is included in the package. I have been a customer of Direct TV, ATT Uverse, and before Philo I used Playstation Vue for about 4 years. I have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and an HD antenna. I decided to "cut the cord" because I was tired of paying for television that supported things I do not agree with. I don't care about the price, although that is a nice benefit. I was just tired of seeing people on ESPN and other channels preaching about their values and denigrating the rest of us who do not agree with them. I am sick and tired of the politics played by Disney and some of the other networks. They have forgotten that they are in the entertainment industry and have decided to use their platform to promote a political agenda. I didn't watch a single play of NFL football this season, even before the protests started I was losing interest. I have not missed it and definitely not missed the thousands of hours of sports analysis. Thank You Philo.