Philo provides access to more than 60 live TV channels, making it a good option for those looking for an affordable live TV streaming service. Considering services like Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV are far more expensive, it is worth checking Philo out as an alternative. However, it is important to look over the full channel list before signing up to make sure it has the right channels for an individual or household.
Since the very beginning, Philo has been designed as an affordable solution to live TV streaming. Philo only offers one plan – the standard Philo plan. The benefit of a one-plan approach like this is that there are no confusing tiers or choices to be made. Everyone gets access to the same channels and features, and at the same low price. The downside, however, is there’s little choice when it comes to customization. At the current $25 price per month, a Philo subscription is less than half the price of many of the other popular live TV services. Even if compared to Sling TV — another highly affordable option—Philo is still a cheaper option. Not to mention, the base Philo subscription also comes with a greater number of channels overall.
For those considering giving Philo a try, then it is worth taking a moment to check out the channel selection. While the price might sound right, and the signup process through the Philo website is super easy, there are some notable channels missing from the lineup, including locals. Weighing up which channels are included and which are missing should be something that’s taken into consideration before signing up and paying the monthly price.
Philo offers more than 60 channels
Philo currently provides access to more than 60 channels and many might just be surprised at the selection on offer. Technically, the list consists of more than 70 as the channel lineup is also bolstered by a small number of free channels. The list below includes all of the channels—free and paid—included with the $25 Philo base plan.
Philo channels list: updated Jan. 2022
| A&E | Food Network | MTV2 |
| AccuWeather Network | FYI | Nick Jr. |
| AMC | G4 | Nickelodeon |
| American Heroes Channel | GAC Family | Nicktoons |
| Animal Planet | GAC Living | Oprah Winfrey Network |
| aspireTV | Game Show Network | Paramount Network |
| AXS TV | getTV | PeopleTV |
| BBC America | Gusto TV | PlayersTV |
| BBC World News | Hallmark Channel | pocket.watch |
| BET | Hallmark Drama | Revry |
| BET Her | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | REVOLT |
| Bloomberg Television | HGTV | Ryan and Friends |
| Cheddar News | History | Science Channel |
| CLEO TV | IFC | Sundance TV |
| CMT | INSP | Tastemade |
| Comedy Central | Investigation Discovery | TeenNick |
| Cooking Channel | Law&Crime | TLC |
| Crackle | Lifetime | Travel Channel |
| Crime + Investigation | LMN | TV Land |
| Destination America | Logo | TV One |
| Discovery Channel | Motor Trend | UPtv |
| Discovery Family | MTV | VH1 |
| Discovery Life | MTV Classic | Vice |
| DIY Network | MTV Live | WE tv |
Overall, Philo offers a good selection of entertainment, reality TV, and kids channels. However, where some subscribers may run into problems is if they are in need of news or sports channels. The latter is particularly an issue with Philo and something to be aware of before signing up as additional arrangements will need to be made to watch live sports.
Philo does offer a number of premium channels which can be added to the base plan at an additional cost each month, but these are not really designed to improve the news or sports content. Instead, they further build on the channels that are already available, with greater access to movies or popular premium networks like Showtime and Starz. The general lack of upgrades not only applies to channels, but also to features as well. For example, aspects like the number of simultaneous streams, the variety of supported devices, the cloud DVR and selection of on-demand videos are all non-negotiable. As there are no options to upgrade any of these elements, subscribers may also need to take these limitations into account before signing up as well.
Philo channels summary
Philo is only going to be worth a subscription if it has the right channels to begin with. Overall, the service provides access to more than 70 channels with a small number of these being free channels. The live TV channel selection that consumers are actually paying for does contain a good variety of entertainment channels. However, the lineup suffers in the news and sports departments. If either of these areas are important to an individual or household then Philo might not be the right live TV solution for them.
Adding to the problem for those subscribers is that Philo doesn’t really have any directly comparable alternatives. Arguably, the closest service to Philo is now Sling TV and its channel lineup might be a better option for some households. However, Sling TV does cost a minimum of $35 per month, making it a more expensive option overall. While Philo’s channel lineup won’t suit everyone, if it does offer the channels an individual subscriber or household wants access to, there’s very little reason to look elsewhere or pay more each month for live TV.
Updated: January 2022
