Less than six months after raising the price of its Core plan, live TV streaming service Philo is expanding its subscription options. On Tuesday, the company announced a new Essential tier with live TV channels but without access to HBO Max and Discovery Plus, which it added to Core alongside the recent price hike.
Philo’s plans now include Essential, which costs $25 per month, and Bundle Plus — a rebranded $33 per month Core plan. The Essential tier comes with more than 70 channels, a week-long free trial, 80,000 on-demand titles and an unlimited DVR with content kept for one year.
With Bundle Plus, you get all of that in addition to ad-supported AMC Plus, HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Philo said the option to upgrade to ad-free tiers is available now for AMC Plus and will be available for Discovery Plus and HBO Max in the future. Unlike Essential, you can’t try Bundle Plus for free.
The company said it aims to provide more flexibility with the addition of Essential. At $8 less than Bundle Plus, it’s a cheaper option for live TV viewers who may not want Bundle Plus’ extra entertainment offerings. Philo’s lineup continues to include free, ad-supported channels. Here’s more on how Philo compares to live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV and Sling.
