Philo, the budget-friendly live TV streamer, is rolling the ad-supported tiers of HBO Max and Discovery+ into its core package. The move, part of a new partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, bumps its monthly price by $5 in a bet that subscribers will choose a beefier content bundle over a skinny price tag.
- The new price of admission: The $33 monthly price hits new subscribers immediately. Current users will see their bills change after a one-month grace period at their old rate.
- A familiar playbook: This strategy mirrors Philo’s 2024 addition of AMC+, marking its continued evolution from a simple, low-cost service to a more comprehensive entertainment hub. “Modern platforms must provide a unified experience and serve every mode — live, VOD, FAST, SVOD — to retain relevance and revenue,” said Mike Keyserling, Philo's COO.
- Some assembly required: The integration isn't seamless just yet. Watching the new content requires jumping out to the separate HBO Max and Discovery+ apps for now. Philo says a more unified experience, including in-app viewing for some shows and ad-free upgrade options, is slated for early 2026.
Philo is moving decisively away from being the cheapest option on the block, gambling instead on becoming the best all-in-one entertainment value for a specific type of cord-cutter.
The bundling wars are heating up across the streaming landscape, with competitors like DirecTV and Sling TV offering different packages to lure subscribers. The move also highlights the growing tension in the industry's "ingestion wars," where streaming platforms and content programmers battle over who controls the user experience and viewing data.
