What the Tech: Streaming wars Fubo and Philo
Trying to understand what these streaming services offer, and even how much they charge, can make your head spin. Prices go up and down depending on deals with the networks. The simple rule is this: the more you want to watch, the more you have to pay.
Choosing the right one can save you hundreds of dollars a year. This week I am breaking down the major live TV streaming services. We start with two that sound alike but could not be more different. Fubo and Philo.
Fubo is built for sports fans. If you are the kind of viewer who plans weekends around the big game, Fubo is designed for you. It includes ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, RedZone, and MLB TV, along with regional sports networks that carry local baseball, basketball, and soccer. Fubo also includes the major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, plus most of the popular cable channels.
There are a few missing pieces. You will not find TBS, TNT, or TruTV, which means college basketball fans might miss some March Madness games.
Fubo lets you stream on up to ten devices at the same time on your home network and three more outside the home. That covers nearly every screen in a sports-loving household.
The price is one of the higher ones. Fubo starts at about 85 dollars a month, with an additional 16-dollar regional sports fee in most markets. After taxes, expect to pay a little over $110 a month once the first month’s discount ends.
Philo is for everyone else who likes cable-style channels but couldn’t care less about sports. It has about 70 channels, including Discovery, A&E, Food Network, Hallmark, History, and Lifetime, along with a solid library of on-demand shows and movies.
Philo skips the expensive stuff. There are no national news networks like CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. No Turner channels like TBS or TNT. No weather channel. And no local stations. That is part of how Philo keeps its price down.
Philo’s monthly subscription is just $33. That is it. Three devices can stream at the same time, and there is unlimited DVR storage.
Fubo and Philo are polar opposites in what they offer and how much they cost. If you want every game and local channel, Fubo is worth considering. If you are just after affordable entertainment and lifestyle channels, Philo might be all the TV you need.
Tomorrow, I will compare YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, the two biggest names in live streaming.
