Google has started pitching low-cost streaming TV service Philo to its Fiber internet customers.
The move comes more than half a year after Google announced it would stop offering traditional television service to customers of its fiber optic telecom services.
In February, Google said customers were naturally gravitating toward streaming television services, making their traditional offerings largely obsolete.
“You no longer need pricey bundles that force you into paying for channels you’ll never watch, taking away your choice and control,” Google said. “You especially don’t need to be locked into one way to get TV in the face of continued price increases or contract battles when all you want to do is watch TV.”
Like customers of other Internet services, Google customers can sign up for whatever streaming TV services they want. But since February, the company has thrown its endorsement behind two linear streaming TV options: Its own YouTube TV service and a competing one called Fubo TV. Both offer a handful of sports, general entertainment and local channels for $65 a month plus tax.
Last week, Google officially endorsed Philo as a new streaming partner that will be pitched to customers when they sign up for Fiber internet service. The move exposes Google’s Internet customers to Philo’s offering of around 50 general entertainment, lifestyle and knowledge channels from A&E Networks, Discovery Networks, AMC Networks, ViacomCBS and others for $20 a month.
As other services have seen a constriction in subscribers, Philo’s low-cost approach to programming has generated a tremendous amount of momentum for the company: Last month, a company investor disclosed the service had signed on 750,000 subscribers since it launched three years ago.
