By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Philo, the streaming service, this week will raise the price for its basic Core plan from $25 a month to $28 a month. The increase, which will go into effect on June 12, will be for new and returning subscribers only.
The streamer says AMC+ will be bundled with the Philo Core package when the $3 a month increase goes into effect. Current subscribers will not be forced to upgrade to the more expensive plan with AMC+ and they can maintain their subscription at the current price. (AMC+, which normally costs $4.99 a month separately, offers a variety of programs from AMC, Shudder, BBC America, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited and The Walking Dead Universe.)
Philo’s base Core package offers more than 70 ‘basic cable’ channels such as AMC, A&E, Discovery, OWN, Lifetime, Comedy Central, MTV, History Channel, Paramount Network and BET. You can see the complete list here.
Once you purchase the base package, you can also add some premium channels separately such as MGM+ and Starz.
Philo, which comes with a seven-day free trial, does not require any installation or cancellation fees. And you can cancel at any time. There are no contracts such as those required by many cable and satellite operators.
Even at $28 a month, Philo will offer the lowest price of all major live streaming services, including Sling TV, which is $40 a month. Philo is able to keep prices lower because it does not carry sports channels which are more expensive to license in carriage agreements.
“A big part of our philosophy is doing everything we can to keep Philo as affordable as possible for our subscribers and not raising prices for them after they subscribe,” Philo said in a statement. “Still, the costs of content and the services we rely on to operate Philo do rise over time. But like the previous time we raised our price (3 years ago), we didn’t want our existing subscribers to feel forced into a price increase. That remains true — current subscribers will be able to keep their current package and price. In fact, anyone who joined Philo on the first day of our launch in 2017, and kept their subscription active, is still paying the same price today.”
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
