Philo, one among the cheaper and more basic live streaming television services, has announced a increase. this may be the primary time since Philo launched years ago that it’s raised its rate, though current subscribers will still pay the present $20/month tag. New customers, however, will need to pay an additional five bucks a month starting in early June.
The news comes from Deadline, which says that Philo will increase its new customer rate to $25/month starting on June 8. As well, current subscribers have the chance to pay a touch more and obtain cloud DVR storage that retains content for a full year instead of only one month — that perk comes with paying the additional five dollars a month, however.
The company describes a rise in programming costs because the reason for its subscription price hike, though Philo remains ultimately cheaper than the bulk of its competitors. The service offers a sizeable, but still fairly modest, channel lineup that has big networks: Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Discovery, TLC, and similar. Subscribers who want quite the 63 channels that accompany the service have the choice of adding on extras at various price points, like Epix for an additional $6/month and Starz for $9/month. While the service isn’t likely to satisfy those that want maximum add-on options and channels, it’s perfectly suitable for several people that want to reinforce their on-demand subscriptions with a live television option.
The move comes amid a general increase across the OTT television market, with competitors like YouTube TV, Hulu, and similar having increased their rates over past months. Though streaming live television has become a well-liked alternative to traditional pay-TV, some have criticized the market as becoming as expensive as cable and satellite alternatives — which could also be what ultimately gives Philo with its $25/month plan a foothold within the future.