On November 14, 2017 — Philo entered as the latest Live TV Streaming Service, but with a twist. Unlike services like DIRECTV NOW and PlayStation Vue, which offered a traditional cable bundle for $40 a month, Philo would offer entertainment-only channels for just $16.
While it wouldn’t have locals or live sports, the service would include major channels from A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, Scripps Networks, and Viacom, an unlimited DVR, and three simultaneous streams.
Over the past year, they’ve added new channels, devices, TV Everywhere support, and while others have raised prices, they’ve maintained their $16 a month pricing.
Today, the service has 18 of the Top 35 cable channels and has become a common add-on for people who subscribe to YouTube TV or PlayStation Vue because it adds channels like A&E, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, & VH1.
We’ve gone back and looked back at what Philo has added to their service in the past year.
Philo: A Year in Review
April 2018
Philo Adds TV Everywhere Support
On April 17, Philo announced that they added TV Everywhere support to almost every channel in their skinny bundle. This meant you could use your credentials to access supported channel’s mobile and TV apps.
May 2018
Philo Offers Free Pandora Premium
On May 3, the company started including a 3-Month subscription to Pandora Premium for all new and existing and subscribers. The promotion would run until October.
Philo Adds Cheddar Big News, PeopleTV, and Tastemade
On May 31, Philo announced that they had added three new channels to their skinny bundle — Cheddar Big News, PeopleTV, and Tastemade — bringing the base package to 40 channels.
June 2018
AT&T Launches WatchTV to compete with Philo
On June 21, the company would face their first direct competition with AT&T launching their $15 a month WatchTV service.
Unlike Philo, the bundle would not include a DVR or multiple streams — but included channels from Turner like CNN, TBS, and TNT.
July 2018
Philo Raises $40M in Funding, Launches Apple TV & Fire TV Apps
On July 10, the company made a major announcement that they had raised $40M in funding from existing investors like AMC Networks, Discovery and Viacom.
The same day, the service released their most requested feature — support for Apple TV and Fire TV. While they launched with Roku support, this would enable Apple and Amazon Fire TV users to fully use the streaming service.
Philo Partners with NCTC to Offer Service Through Cable Providers
On July 26, Philo announced that they would work with 750 cable and broadband providers to offer Philo to their customers.
October 2018
Philo Adds Channel Guide to Roku & Updated iPad App
On October 2, Philo would add a much requested feature — a standard channel guide — to their Roku app. Previously, the feature was only available on their web platform.
Also, the company would update their iOS App for full iPad support, so users would no longer have to use the iPhone App stretched on their iPad.
Philo Adds Supports for Personalized Profiles
On October 10, the company added support for multiple user profiles. This meant that in a single household, each member could have their own sign-in credentials, saved shows, and viewing history.
Philo Adds 3 Channels to Plus Package
On October 15, Philo would expand their Plus package ($20) to 50 channels by adding aspireTV, REVOLT, and UPtv.
Philo Adds Hallmark channels to Base Package
On October 25, Philo would add The Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to their base package ($16) without raising prices.
The channels were among the most highly requested by Philo subscribers and came just in time for the holidays.
November 2018
Philo Adds Support for Hallmark Channel Everywhere
Just two weeks after adding Hallmark, Philo added support for Hallmark’s app — Hallmark Channel Everywhere. Subscribers can now use their Philo credentials to log-in to the app.
What’s Ahead for 2019
It’s been a busy year for Philo, as they’ve grown the service with additional apps and channels. We expect that they will finally have a native Android App and expand their channel guide to other platforms.
We hope that they will continue to add channels including those from NBC Universal like E! and Bravo.
But most of all, we hope that they will focus on their core, being a low-cost alternative for those who don’t need access to local channels and live sports.