Philo signs deal for first original series

Philo, a live streaming TV service focused on general entertainment channels, has signed its first original programming deal.

The service said it reached a deal with digital media company Kin to bring “Boss Moves,” a new series starring Rasheeda Frost from “Love and Hip-Hop,” to the platform. The series will also be available through’s Kin YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.

In addition, Philo will add more than 65 hours of Kin’s women’s lifestyle content including “Hello Hunnay with Jeannie Mai Jenkins,” “Really, Truly, Maybe with Christina Milian,” and “9 to Wine” with former Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe.  The library of Kin’s programs will be available as part of Philo’s base package for all subscribers. “Boss Moves” will begin shooting later this month and will include twelve 30-minute episodes.

Matt Stein, head of brand and creative strategy at Philo, called his company's emerging original programming strategy something it has been "thoughtfully exploring, with a partner who aligns with our audience and approach."

"Philo is dedicated to building value by super serving our community in every way we can. That goes for everything from customer service, to product features, to content. Using the feedback we get from subscribers and behavioral insights we have access to, we’re using institutional wisdom to develop targeted content that can enhance our already robust offering," Stein told Fierce Video in an email.

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“We’re thrilled to bring Kin’s entertaining and diverse content to our platform for our subscribers," said Philo COO Mike Keyserling in a statement. "Kin’s programming, which specifically focuses on entrepreneurship and female empowerment, is a great fit for Philo’s community. We are certain that Philo subscribers will enjoy the extensive catalog of Kin shows, as well as Boss Moves, our upcoming new original series with Rasheeda.”

“Kin creates programming that resonates with women of all backgrounds, wherever they are watching. We are excited to debut ‘Boss Moves’ with Philo and are confident it will attract audiences looking for strong, talented, and diverse talent,” said Kin COO Tejal Ajmera in a statement.

This is Philo’s first foray into original programming but many other traditional and streaming distributors including AT&T, DirecTV, Charter and fuboTV have made similar moves to provide content for their own platforms.

Philo currently offers more than 60 channels for $25 and allows three separate streams on three different devices with up to 10 profiles. The service raised its monthly rates by $5 last summer after keeping it at $20/month for more than three years.

In a blog post, Philo CEO Andrew McCollum explained that the price increase was due to fee increases from content partners along with platform and billing partner costs.