FuboTV starts at $64.99 a month, but if you want to sign up, you will need to buy a three-month prepaid package totaling $194.96.
The live streaming service this morning tells The TV Answer Man that it’s only making its packages available to new subscribers as quarterly plans.
“We have temporarily made our channel packages available to new subscribers as quarterly plans,” said FuboTV spokesperson Jennifer Press via e-mail. “We’re always experimenting with our channel package offerings to better understand what our subscribers like.”
Press said the quarterly plan change does not affect existing subscribers.
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It’s unclear if the quarterly offering will be permanent. Plus, as of this morning, the quarterly plans are not available on FuboTV’s site on all platforms. For example, the mobile version of Fubo.TV says the plans are quarterly, but the desktop edition still says monthly.
When we asked FuboTV’s Twitter customer service team this morning whether the plans are only available quarterly, it responded:
“We recently updated our plans and are currently only offering quarterly subscriptions. The monthly plans may still be available to some users when signing up. You’re welcome to subscribe to these in that case. We’re sorry for the confusion.”
Press also confirmed that the monthly plans will not be available to new customers. “However, note that the offering of only quarterly plans to new customers is a temporary test,” she added.
Fubo.TV’s new web site offering:
The requirement to buy three months in advance rather than one month would seem targeted to reduce Fubo’s churn rate which has been high for all live streaming services. By requiring new subscribers to buy three months up front, it would be less likely they would cancel until the quarter is up; they would not get their money back if they did cancel early.
The downside is that fewer subscribers might sign up if they have to purchase three months in advance.
FuboTV has previously experimented with quarterly plans with small groups, but the ongoing churn rate issue could have triggered a wider implementation.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
So much for the advantages of cutting the cord. Where are the savings compared to satellite or cable? Another expense that streamers may take for granted is that You MUST have an internet connection. An expensive connection (Fiber, or equivalant) that you MUST maintain, and if there is an outage, means you won’t have TV.
Everyone has Internet anyway. All this quarterly deal is forces people to pay the monthly rate quarterly. So for me, that would be $210 instead of the $70 I now pay monthly and if you can hook me up with a Spectrum TV deal for $70 a month that gives me the same content as fuboTV, then please tell me where I can find that. I pay $50 a month for 500/500 fiber to the home Internet. Who does not have Internet ?
Now then, fuboTV should be trying to increase it’s subscriber base and I do not see how this quarterly payment plan will help them do that.
I’m stuck with DSL 75mb. Fiber doesn’t reach my neighborhood and it will likely be 2 years at least (according to an at&t tech) before I can get fiber. I’m sure there are millions like me who can’t get it where they live either. Sure, we like to think nothing will ever happen to disrupt our internet service, but it does.
The main problem I have with streaming, is — I pay for a service (Directv) like a utility that THEY service if there’s a problem. If you have a problem with FUBO — YOU have to figure out what’s wrong. If you can’t figure it out, you’re screwed, with no TV unless you have some old rabbit ears.
FUBO is dependent upon internet service. In a worst case scenario (like a tornado or hurricane), your internet will be down. Unless you have those rabbit ears or a radio, where will you get your evacuation or storm weather warnings? I’m sure there are people in Texas asking that question as I write this. If I have power, and with a generator, I will, I’ll have TV.
Not for nothing, but when they first started doing quarterly they gave you the higher tier for a lower tier price which if you can budget the 3 months payment, you’re basically getting a free upgrade. Has worked well for me so far.
Why experiment? Everyone knows the public loves to spend 3 times more money for anything. Idiots.
This is exactly how you make sure I will never try out your product
I’m retired and on a fixed income I do not want to prepay 3 months in advance if this becomes the normal I will shop for another streaming service and drop fubo. Also the 6499 is gone I now pay a surcharge it for sports it’s 69.95 I had no option it was automatically added to my account. Seems like we’re heading towards the cable conglomerate business plan now.
I really liked all the options with the Fubo tv app until I saw u had to prepay for 3 months at a time! I’m trying to cut the cord and make less of a cable bill payment. Yes I get that the total is for 3 months but when you pay $101.00 a month now that just makes it even more ridiculous I guess I’ll keep looking
I have had Direct TV Stream for several years at this point and it has been great but the price is just getting to be just as expensive as Cable. I was going to give FUBO a try but this 3 month requirement has me hesitating to do it. Makes it a big commitment especial;;u as to pm; u saves me $20 a month. I have excellent internet but for anyone wondering you do not need Fiber for a streaming service. The first couple of years I had Direct TV Stream I only had a 75MB down and 24 MB up service with Comcast. I do have Fiber now but that’s because its available and I pay less for it than I used to pay Comcast and get 1000 Up and Down.
I had been researching to cut the cord.. but like many on this thread.. the prepayment and surcharge are throwing me off? It’s seems to be more like cable than streaming service?? Why would i go through the hassle?
At least with cable they run the “pipes” (wiring). If something goes wrong, they will fix it.