Q. I heard about a service called Friendly TV that has cable channels and it costs just $6.99 a month. That’s a great price. Do you know if it has sports channels like ESPN? — Miranda, El Paso, Texas.
Miranda, I think you’re talking about Frndly TV which bills itself as a family-friendly streaming service, presumably as opposed to those that offer programming that might be unsuitable for children.
Frndly, which has 30 live cable channels, starts at just $6.99, but the cheapest plan only includes the 30 channels in standard-definition, and the capacity to watch on one device at a time. The $8.99 a month plan includes High-Definition, two screens at a time, and unlimited DVR recording which you can store for up to three months. The $10.99 a month package includes high-def, four screens at a time, and unlimited DVR recording which can be stored for up to nine months.
Frndly TV is available on most streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV, and iOS phones and tablets.
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Like other live streaming services, such as Sling TV, DIRECTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu Live and YouTube TV, there are no contracts or cancellation fees. There’s also a seven-day free trial which allows you to check it out without paying a dime. (But note that you will be charged if you don’t cancel before the seven days are up.)
The service’s prices are far below what is charged by its live streaming rivals. But does Frndly TV have sports channels like its streaming rivals?
Well, Frndly has three ‘sports’ channels: Sportsman Channel, Outdoor Channel, and World Fishing Network. That explains why Frndly is able to keep its prices so low. Top-rated sports channels such as ESPN and FS1 charge high fees to carry them because they air major sporting events such as Major League Baseball, NFL football and NBA basketball. Sportsman Channel, Outdoor Channel and World Fishing Network charge relatively little in fees because their lineups consist of shows that require relatively little money to produce or purchase.
Frndly also doesn’t carry local network affiliates (another major sports hub) which also charge high carriage rates.
The good news is that all three Frndly packages offer all 30 channels, and here they are:
A&E, The HISTORY Channel, Military HISTORY, Lifetime, LMN, FYI, VICE TV, GAC Family, GAC Living, Circle, FETV, Get tv, Dove Channel, Recipe.TV, BYUtv, INSP, Pixl, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama, UP TV, Game Show Network, CuriosityStream, BabyFirst TV, QVC, The Weather Channel, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, Local Now, World Fishing Network, FAMILY MOVIE CLASSICS, and Heartland TV!
Miranda, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
