Update: Since posting, fuboTV has rolled back their test and now display a monthly option for their Family Bundle.
After dropping their $59.99 Standard Plan in December, fuboTV quietly introduced a new quarterly option for their Family Bundle. At the time, when you signed-up, you had the option to select either a monthly option or get additional benefits like larger DVR and more simultaneous streams if you paid quarterly.
Now, the company has removed their monthly option for the Family Bundle on their website altogether. fuboTV has confirmed to The Streamable, that this is a “test not a permanent change.” They said “fuboTV frequently tests different channel plans to find out what our customers like and what offers the most value.”
The company is still offering their monthly Elite Bundle ($79.99), which includes the same options as the Family Quarterly Bundle, but also includes channels in the fubo Extra plan. The Elite Bundle does not offer a free trial, while the Family Quarterly Bundle does.
With the Family Quarterly Bundle you would pre-pay $194.97 ($64.99 a month), but unlike the previous monthly Family Bundle it also includes Family Share Max (5 Simultaneous Streams) and 1,000 Hour Cloud DVR ($16.99 in additional value). The monthly plan included 3 Simultaneous Streams and a 250 Hour Cloud DVR.
By introducing the new quarterly option, fuboTV is hoping to reduce monthly churn, while not having to offer a discount. By giving low-cost upgrades, it’s a win-win for both fuboTV and the customer. The customer gets more value, while fubo gets paid sooner and can more efficiently retain customers without having to drop the price of service.
The question will be whether charging quarterly will be a turn off to streamers who are used to paying monthly with the ability to cancel at anytime.
The other major downside to a quarterly option comes to add-ons. For instance, their Sports Plus add-on which includes NFL RedZone, you may only want for four months – but with a quarterly plan – you would have to select it for either three (too few) or six (too many).
In August, fuboTV raised the price of their fuboTV Standard Plan from $54.99 to $59.99 a month, after adding Disney-owned channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC. In December, fubo raised the price of fuboTV Extra add-on from $5.99 to $7.99.
The company ended the year with an all-time high of 545,000 subscribers. In comparison though, it is still quite a bit smaller than Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV, who last reported 4.1 million and 3 million subscribers respectively.