Philo does not carry any local sports or news channels, but it does offer a variety of other types of content at an affordable price.
It can be overwhelming to switch from a cable subscription to a streaming service, but it is important to take into consideration the kind of content that you watch.
Philo is an extremely popular streaming service because it has a vast array of content that you cannot find elsewhere for a very low price, but it does not have local channels.
The transition from cable to streaming
Streaming services may have just seemed like the latest trend a few years ago, but these services do not look like they are planning to slow down anytime soon.
In fact, as of 2022, about 85 percent of young Americans only watch television through a streaming service.
However, if you are new to the world of streaming devices, platforms, and subscriptions, the abundance of choices can be quite overwhelming.
The best way to ease your own transition from cable to streaming is to focus on the content that you love and watch often, and then work your way out from there.
This way, you will not end up feeling like you are missing out, but you may just cut down considerably on your cable bill.
Does Philo have local channels?
Philo is usually one of the best options for households who are trying to make the leap from cable to streaming. This is because the platform has over 60 different channels, many of which are not available on other similar streaming services.
The reason why Philo sometimes has content that can be difficult to find on other streaming services is because the service is jointly owned by some of the biggest networks in the television industry.
These include A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery (which comprises the former Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia) and Paramount Global (which includes the former Viacom and CBS Corporations).
As a result, this streaming platform carries content from all of these properties but can do so at a very low comparative price.
Another factor which has helped Philo to keep costs low over the years is the fact that the platform does not carry local channels such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox.
Though these channels are usually a draw for other streaming services that want to entice local news and sports fans, they are expensive and given that Philo’s main draw is the platform’s pared-down, but affordable approach, it is highly unlikely that these channels will ever be added to the Philo library in the future.
In light of this, your best option will be to fill in the gaps in the Philo library with a different streaming service.
Is Philo affordable?
At only $25 per month for the basic plan, Philo is one of the most affordable television streaming services on the market.
Furthermore, the fact that Philo only has one pricing tier makes the subscription and billing process much easier than it is for some other streaming services.
However, if the basic Philo plan is a little too bare-bones for your taste, the platform does offer several premium add-ons with which to expand your library of content.
This includes the “STARZ” add-on, which is an additional $9 per month, the “MGM+” add-on, which is $6 extra per month, or the “Movies & More” add-on, which is only $3 extra per month.
What other content does Philo have in its library?
Even though a Philo subscription will not give you access to all of your local sports and news channels, the platform does still offer a variety of entertainment ranging from classic and newer movies, cooking shows, and children’s shows and movies to documentaries.
Some of the channels on Philo include:
- AMC,
- Nickelodeon,
- Comedy Central,
- Crime + Investigation,
- Food Network,
- Hallmark Channel and many more.
Other streaming services that can fill the gaps in Philo’s shortfall in content
You may be able to fill some of the gaps in Philo’s local news channels with other news channels like BBC America or BBC World News, but Philo really falls flat when it comes to sports content.
For this reason, it is often better to find another streaming service to watch in tandem with Philo, to get the greatest variety of content possible.
In this case, streaming services like fuboTV (from $74.99 per month) or Hulu + Live TV (from $69.99 per month), DIRECTV (from $64.99 per month), and even YouTube TV (from $72.99 per month), are great options.
These services are slightly more expensive, but they all have a good variety of live and on-demand content that may be missing from the Philo channel line-up.
| Start your 7-day free trial on Philo here |