This week, customers of the slimmed-down cable channel streaming service Philo got the news that is all too common in streaming these days: their subscription price was going up. Philo announced that it would be raising the base price of a subscription for new customers by $3 to $28 per month, but in exchange customers would get free access to the AMC+ streaming service. In addition to these changes, Philo announced that it would begin allowing all viewers to watch a selection of its free streaming channels, regardless of whether they are paid Philo customers or not.

Key Details:

• Philo’s free streaming platform features more than 70 channels spanning multiple genres.
• Viewers can also DVR select titles and keep recordings for up to 30 days using Philo’s free service.
• Philo free will help the company increase engagement, and will likely prompt some viewers to convert to paid members.

Philo already has plenty of experience as a distributor of free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels. It has offered dozens of these channels alongside cable networks like AMC, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, and Nickelodeon for years, as a way to supplement its channel guide for customers who aren’t sure what to watch next.

Now, the free streaming channels are available for all audiences, even if they don’t pay for a Philo account of their own. Viewers can sign up using only an email address and a password, and Philo won’t ask you for a credit card unless you intend to subscribe to its paid streaming service as well.

Viewers who decide to watch free channels on Philo will also be able to record select shows and movies for on-demand viewing later. Philo offers free DVR storage for up to 30 days, so users will have a full month to watch their recording before it disappears.

Which Other Live TV Services Offer Free Streaming Choices?

Philo hopes to keep viewers who unsubscribe from their paid account engaged with a Philo product with the new free platform. It will also likely help the service convert some free viewers to paid subscribers, especially now that Philo offers no-cost access to the ad-supported plan of the AMC+ streaming service (a $4.99-per-month value).

Other live TV streaming services have also attempted to use free streaming platforms to boost engagement among viewers. Fubo was the most recent platform to announce a free streaming option; in May, the company confirmed to The Streamable that it would begin offering a platform with free streaming channels to viewers who had previously canceled their Fubo subscription, or had tried a Fubo free trial but didn’t sign up for a paid plan. This new service will come to consumers in the next few weeks, but unlike Philo’s, it will not be available to all audiences, only those who have had a previous relationship with Fubo.

Sling TV also offers a free streaming platform, and it’s quite similar to Philo’s. Sling Freestream offers hundreds of live channels and a huge selection of on-demand choices, and it too provides DVR. Any customer who takes the extra step of creating a Sling Freestream account gets up to 10 hours of DVR storage at no cost. Sling Freestream is also available to all audiences, regardless of paid Sling subscription status.

These platforms are a fairly naked play at better engagement, but they deliver free content to customers who are increasingly fed up with the price of streaming. Viewers can begin watching Philo's free streaming platform here, and browse the dozens of channels available at their leisure.

7-Day Trial

philo.com

Philo

Philo is a live TV streaming service designed for entertainment lovers, offering flexible ways to watch without the high price of traditional TV bundles. The service now features two paid plans — Essential and Bundle+ — alongside its existing free streaming offering, giving customers a range of options depending on how much live and premium content they want.

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The Essential plan costs $25 per month and includes 70+ live TV channels focused on entertainment and lifestyle programming, such as AMC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Nickelodeon, and Food Network. Subscribers also get access to 120+ free streaming channels, more than 80,000 movies and shows on demand, and unlimited DVR with one-year storage. Essential also includes a 7-day free trial for new customers.

For viewers who want more premium content, Philo offers the Bundle+ plan for $33 per month (formerly the Philo Core plan). Bundle+ includes everything in Essential, plus ad-supported AMC+ and access to the HBO Max (Basic with Ads) app. Users can also access discovery+ content directly within the Philo app. While Bundle+ adds a full premium streaming bundle for just $8 more per month, it does not include a free trial.

The service is available on most major devices, including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, smart TVs, mobile devices, and web browsers. In addition to its paid plans, Philo also offers a free ad-supported streaming experience, allowing users to explore content before deciding whether to upgrade to a live TV subscription.

While it doesn’t include local broadcast stations or sports networks like ESPN, FS1 or NBC Sports Network, Philo remains one of the most affordable live TV streaming options for entertainment-focused viewers. With a simple lineup, generous DVR storage, and a clear path from free streaming to live TV and premium bundles, Philo is an appealing choice for cord-cutters who want to keep costs down while still enjoying a wide range of popular programming.

7-Day Trial

$25+ / month

philo.com