Philo is building up its entertainment and documentary content offering, adding this week the Smithsonian Channel and Pop TV to its streaming lineup.
The Smithsonian Channel is a Paramount-owned pay TV channel that delivers non-fiction programming covering history, science and cultural topics. Titles include “Aerial in America,” showcasing aerial shots from each state, history-focused “America’s Hidden Stories,” and “Apollo’s Moon Shot,” among others.
Pop TV, also a Paramount channel, carries several completed TV series like “ER”,” “Ghost Whisperer” and “House” – shows aimed at “viewers raised on 80s and 90s network TV,” wrote Adam Salmon, Philo’s head of distribution and content partnerships, in a blog post.
Both channels are now included in Philo’s base package, which contains over 70 channels for $25 per month. In addition to its wide range of cable channels from distributors like Paramount, A&E Networks and AMC, Philo offers a handful of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels from Crackle, Cinedigm, Gusto TV and Revry, just to name a few.
Philo users can also add some premium channels to their subscription package, such as Starz and Epix, with the latter set to be rebranded as MGM+ on January 15. Philo said it will still carry Epix channels under the new name.
To stand out in the streaming market, Philo has leaned towards promoting itself as destination for comfort-based entertainment. Last summer the service began a marketing campaign known as “Channel Comfort,” which later launched as a Philo original streaming network.
Philo’s comfort-oriented campaign included shipping a limited number of care packages containing a head pillow and other items to help people relax while watching TV. A company survey from early last year indicated over half of consumers turn to “comfort” shows or movies, meaning titles that they’ve typically watched multiple times, to unwind.
Aside from comfort content, Philo carries episodes from popular drama series like “The Walking Dead” and “Yellowstone.” The service experienced an influx of viewership during the fifth season premiere of “Yellowstone” last fall, resulting in service outages across the Philo app.