Quick Answer: Philo carries 70 or so live channels for $25 a month on Essential, or $33 on Bundle+, which folds in HBO Max, AMC+ and discovery+. It is the cheapest real live TV service in the country, and the reason is not a discount. Philo has decided not to carry sports, local channels, or the big cable news networks. If you do not watch those three things, you are paying about a third of what a full live TV bundle costs for the channels you actually use.
The Four Things Philo Refuses to Carry
Start here, because this is the whole service. Every other live TV package is built by adding channels. Philo is built by leaving them out.
| Not on Philo | What that rules out |
|---|---|
| Sports networks | No ESPN, no FS1, no TNT, no regional sports networks. No live games of any kind. |
| Local channels | No ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. No local news, no NFL, no network primetime. |
| Major cable news | No CNN, no Fox News, no MSNBC. The lighter news channels are there instead. |
| Disney and Warner entertainment | No Disney Channel, no Freeform, no TBS, no Cartoon Network. |
Those four omissions are where the money goes in every other package. Sports rights and local retransmission fees are the two biggest line items in live TV, and Philo pays neither. That is how a service with a genuinely good entertainment lineup lands at $25 while its competitors sit near $90.
Worth knowing: the local channel gap has a free fix. ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS all broadcast over the air, so a one-off antenna covers the exact hole Philo leaves. Our guide to watching live TV for free explains what you would actually receive. Philo plus an antenna is a genuinely strong combination for anyone who does not need live sport.
The Two Plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $25 a month | 70+ live channels, 120+ free streaming channels, 80,000+ on demand titles, unlimited DVR with a year of storage |
| Bundle+ | $33 a month | Everything in Essential, plus AMC+, HBO Max (Basic with Ads) and discovery+ included |
The Bundle+ maths is worth doing rather than assuming. HBO Max with ads on its own costs more than the eight dollar gap between the two plans. If you already pay for HBO Max separately, or you were about to, Bundle+ is cheaper than keeping them apart. If you would not otherwise subscribe to any of the three, Essential is the honest choice.
The Full Philo Channel Lineup
Every channel below is on both plans unless marked otherwise.
| Category | Channels |
|---|---|
| Drama and scripted | AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, A&E, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, INSP, UPtv, Start TV |
| Hallmark and feel good | Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Hallmark Family, Aspire, AXS TV |
| Lifestyle, home and food | HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel, TLC, Magnolia Network, OWN, Discovery Channel, Discovery Life, Discovery Family, MotorTrend, Science Channel, Travel Channel, Destination America, Animal Planet |
| Reality, crime and documentary | Investigation Discovery, Crime + Investigation, American Heroes Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, FYI, HISTORY, Smithsonian Channel |
| Comedy and games | Comedy Central, Catchy Comedy, Game Show Network |
| Music and culture | MTV, MTV2, MTV Classic, MTV Live, VH1, CMT, BET, BET Her, Logo, Revolt, Fuse |
| Kids and family | Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, BabyFirst TV |
| News, lighter side | Cheddar News, BBC News, Law & Crime, Scripps News |
| Bundle+ only | AMC+, HBO Max (Basic with Ads), discovery+ |
Read that list without thinking about price and it is a strong entertainment package. Hallmark, HGTV, Food Network, HISTORY, Lifetime, Discovery, Nickelodeon and AMC are the channels that carry most unscripted and comfort viewing in America. The absence is entirely at the expensive end.
The Unlimited DVR Is Better Than It Sounds
Philo records without a storage cap and keeps recordings for a year, which quietly changes how the service works. Because there is no space to manage, the sensible approach is to set a series to record and forget about it. After a few weeks you stop browsing live channels at all and watch from a personal library instead.
You also get three simultaneous streams, which is generous at this price and means a household can genuinely share one subscription.
Who Philo Actually Suits
| You are | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Someone who watches HGTV, Hallmark, Food Network or HISTORY most nights | Ideal. This is exactly the audience |
| Already paying for HBO Max separately | Take Bundle+. It costs less than keeping them apart |
| Willing to put up an antenna for locals | Strong. Philo plus antenna covers most non-sports viewing |
| A sports fan of any kind | No. Not a single live game. Do not subscribe |
| Someone who watches cable news daily | No. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC are all absent |
| Buying for children who want Disney Channel | Partly. Nickelodeon is here, Disney is not |
If Philo Is Not Right, What Is
Be honest about which omission is the dealbreaker, because the right alternative depends entirely on that.
- You need sport. Look at Fubo, which is built around sport and regional networks.
- You need locals and a broad lineup. The YouTube TV lineup is the most complete option, at roughly three times the price.
- You want locals plus a Disney bundle. Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+ and ESPN Select in its price.
- You want cheap and some sport. Compare Sling Orange and Blue, which splits its channels across two plans.
- You want to pay even less. The Frndly TV channels list starts at $8.99 a month with the Hallmark channels, A&E, Lifetime and HISTORY. It is a smaller lineup than Philo, and it also has no sport, locals or cable news.
The author specializes in U.S. cable, satellite, and streaming TV services, with hands-on experience analyzing channel lineups, regional restrictions, equipment requirements, and contract terms. All the content is written with clear, easy-to-understand explanations to help readers compare services accurately and make informed decisions.
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