Philo Adds HBO Max, Discovery to Core Plan; Raises Price By $5 a Month

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

Philo, the live streaming service, today added the ads-included HBO Max and Discovery+ plans as part of its $28 a month ‘Core’ package which includes roughly 70 basic cable channels. (The streamer also offers more than 100 free channels.)

HBO Max and Discovery+ will be free for one month to all existing subscribers to the $28 a month plan. However, after the month, the price will rise to $33 a month. New subscribers must now pay $33 a month for the base plan, a $5 a month increase over the previous rate.

Philo last raised prices in June 2024 when it increased the Core plan by $3 a month to the $28 a month rate.

Philo said in a press release that access to HBO Max and Discovery+ will be available through their respective apps once activated through the Philo account. Current and new subscribers can access their premium services beginning today, September 30. Visit https://help.philo.com to learn how to activate.

“In today’s environment, it’s no longer enough to own just one component of the viewership equation,” Mike Keyserling, Philo chief executive office, said in the release. “Modern platforms must provide a unified experience and serve every mode — live, VOD, FAST, SVOD — to retai relevance and revenue. The addition of the HBO Max library and its premium IP to our bundle means we can give our customers more of what they’ve been looking for at an exceptional value.”

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.

At $33 a month, Philo has the lowest price of all major live streaming services, including Sling TV, which is $46 a month. However, Philo does not carry sports channels, such as ESPN, Fox Sports, local channels or regional sports channels. The decision to omit sports channels and network affiliates allows Philo to charge less because both groups are very expensive to carry. (ESPN, for instance, arguably charges more in carriage fees than any other channel.) They don’t have to pay as much in carriage fees so they don’t need as much subscriber revenue to succeed.

Please consider making a donation to The TV Answer Man site here at the Buy Me a Coffee site. Any donation size is appreciated and will help me continue to provide these articles to you.

Have a Question? Ask The TV Answer Man!
Have a question about a favorite show, streaming service or new TV product? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.