SVOD Philo debuted its new entertainment-only linear streaming service earlier this year. Priced at $16 per month, the service includes channels from cable programmers A+E, AMC, Discovery, Scripps and Viacom. And no sports, at least for now.
Philo is able to keep its price fairly low by avoiding expensive programming like live sports, but CEO Andrew McCollum said that if the company can find a way that makes sense for Philo customers to add sports and news to the mix, then the company is open to it.
“We're definitely looking at potentially adding other content verticals like sports and news through add-ons. Sports is definitely an area where fans are excited for those options, and if we can do it in a way that gives people flexibility, we're very open to it. Of course, some of these options are already available to stream directly from the leagues,” said McCollum during a Reddit Ask Me Anything Q&A session.
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McCollum also said Philo has had discussions about possibly adding broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
“We've spoken to them many times, and we're definitely open to adding them to the service, but we aren't going to do it if we can't preserve the flexibility and value that we think consumers want,” said McCollum.
For now, he said that Philo is looking at expanding its lineup with digital networks. The base tier of the service already offers digital news network Cheddar. He added that expanding the lineup while maintaining the current price point is a challenge, and so Philo is focusing on giving customers more choices for adding channels.
Elsewhere in the Q&A session, McCollum said that Philo apps for Android TV, Chromecast and Fire TV are coming soon. The service will be available on web browsers, Roku, iOS and Android via Chrome (an Android app is in the works). The service allows for up to three different simultaneous streams and provides access to an unlimited 30-day DVR and on-demand library.
The $16-per-month tier offers more than 35 channels including A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TLC and Viceland. For another $4 per month, subscribers will be able to add nine channels including Logo and Nicktoons.