Fubo has discontinued its “Essential” plan that allowed streamers to save money by skipping out on access to regional sports networks.
The plan cost $85 per month and gave streamers access to local broadcast stations and national cable networks, including sports channels like ESPN and Fox Sports 1, without costlier regional sports channels that increased the price of Fubo’s service by around $15 per month.
The Essential plan was discontinued earlier this month, about three months after it was introduced. The news was first reported by Jared Newman in his “Cord Cutter Weekly” newsletter on Friday. A spokesperson for Fubo told Newman that customers preferred receiving access to their regional sports networks during baseball season.
Fubo subscribers who signed up for the Essential package will be allowed to keep it for now; new customers will be pushed to one of Fubo’s other packages, including Pro ($85 per month plus taxes and regional sports fees) or Elite ($95 per month plus taxes and regional sports fees). The streaming service is currently offering a $30 discount off the first month of either package.
While the Fubo Pro doesn’t come cheap, it is currently the company’s cheapest offering. That will change in the coming months when Fubo launches a much-anticipated “Sports & Broadcasting” package, which will include local broadcast stations and national sports networks for around $50 to $60 per month.
Earlier this month, The Desk reported Fox Corporation and the Walt Disney Company had signed on to offer their channels through the Sports & Broadcasting plan, with Comcast’s NBC Universal and Paramount Global expected to offer their channels as well. The plan will also include access to more than 100 free, ad-supported streaming TV channels that are also offered in the Pro and Elite packages.
