What Philo does

Philo is a privately held, San Francisco-based live TV streaming service that delivers 70+ entertainment and lifestyle channels and 75,000-80,000+ on-demand titles to U.S. consumers at a deliberately low price point of $25-$33 per month, having excluded sports, most local broadcast, and most news channels from its lineup. The product is offered through a self-serve web and mobile/CTV app stack (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, VIZIO, LG, iOS, Android, Chromecast) with unlimited 1-year cloud DVR, up to 10 profiles per account, and 3 simultaneous streams, plus a no-credit-card free ad-supported channel tier for top-of-funnel sampling. Underlying technology includes machine-learning-driven recommendations augmented by a 2026 integration with Reelgood's catalog intelligence across 300+ streaming services and 4M+ titles, and a programmatic CTV ad stack featuring a Pause Ads format launched in June 2026 across direct and programmatic supply paths with Magnite, Index Exchange, Kargo, Nexxen, OpenX, TripleLift, WunderKIND, and Universal Ads.

Philo monetizes through three revenue streams: subscription recurring revenue from its Essential and Bundle+ tiers and six premium add-ons (Hallmark+, ALLBLK, MGM+, Movies & More, STARZ, ad-free AMC+), advertising revenue from its pause-ad and programmatic CTV inventory sold directly and via Universal Ads' Universal Audience Network, and partner-driven commerce via a 2026 streaming partnership with QVC Group. Its go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer self-serve sign-up on philo.com, marketplace distribution across streaming device app stores, and a sales-led programmatic advertising motion. The customer base is concentrated in two segments: budget-conscious cord-cutters who want live TV without sports-driven costs, and streaming bundlers seeking aggregation of HBO Max, AMC+, and discovery+ under a single subscription, with CTV advertisers and agencies as a secondary revenue segment. As of March 2026 the company is led by CEO Mike Keyserling (formerly COO and previously VP of media and production operations at HBO), with founder Andrew McCollum serving as Executive Chairman; the company has approximately 160 employees, of which roughly 11 sit on the advertising side.

Name

Philo

Legal name

Philo

Website

https://philo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Philo is a privately held, San Francisco-based live TV streaming service offering 70+ entertainment and lifestyle channels and 75,000-80,000+ on-demand titles to U.S. cord-cutters via $25-$33 monthly subscription tiers, plus a programmatic CTV ad business anchored by a 2026 Pause Ads format.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live TV Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual MVPDs (Live TV Streaming Bundles) (MPABAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Live TV Streaming (vMVPD/IPTV OTT) (MPACAAAD)

Keywords

• Live TV streaming
• Subscription video service
• Cloud DVR streaming
• Connected TV advertising
• Entertainment video on demand

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Essential Plan: Recurring monthly subscription at $25/month (plus tax) for 70+ live channels, 75,000+ on-demand titles, 1-year unlimited DVR, and streaming on 3 devices. New users receive a 7-day free trial; no contract required.
2. Subscription - Bundle+ Plan: Recurring monthly subscription at $33/month (advertised as saving $22/month vs. buying apps separately) bundling Essential channels with HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+, discovery+, All Reality, and 80,000+ on-demand titles.
3. CTV / Pause Advertising: Advertising revenue from pause ads and broader programmatic CTV inventory sold both directly and through integrations with Magnite, Index Exchange, Kargo, Nexxen, OpenGlass, OpenX, TripleLift, WunderKIND Ads, Universal Ads, and H/L/Nexxen partnerships.
4. Premium Add-On Subscriptions: Recurring monthly add-on fees for premium networks: AMC+ ad-free ($4/mo), MGM+ ($8/mo), STARZ ad-free ($12/mo), Hallmark+ ad-free ($8/mo), ALLBLK ad-free ($7/mo), and Movies & More ($3/mo).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Philo operates an entertainment-focused live TV streaming service that delivers 70+ live channels (excluding sports and most news) and a 75,000–80,000+ on-demand library through a cloud-based platform with unlimited 1-year cloud DVR. It sells direct-to-consumer monthly subscriptions (Philo Essential at $25/mo and Philo Bundle+ at $33/mo, the latter bundling HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+, and discovery+) and monetizes a free ad-supported channel tier through a programmatic Connected TV (CTV) advertising stack featuring a proprietary pause-ad format.

Product overview

Philo operates a unified live TV streaming platform offered through two paid subscription tiers — Philo Essential ($25/month) and Philo Bundle+ ($33/month) — plus a free, ad-supported Free Channels tier and a Pause Ads advertising format. The Essential tier forms the core product, providing 70+ live channels, 75,000+ on-demand titles, unlimited 1-year cloud DVR, 3 simultaneous streams, and a 7-day free trial. Bundle+ extends Essential by bundling HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+, discovery+, and All Reality into an 80,000+ title library. Free Channels lets viewers sample a curated ad-supported lineup with no credit card required. Optional premium add-ons (Hallmark+, ALLBLK, MGM+, Movies & More, STARZ, and ad-free AMC+) layer onto either paid tier, and the Pause Ads CTV format monetizes the ad-supported footprint. The product is available across web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung TV, VIZIO TV, LG TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and Chromecast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Philo Essential: $25/month subscription tier offering 70+ live TV channels, 75,000+ on-demand titles, unlimited DVR, and a 7-day free trial.
• Philo Bundle+

Products and services

• Philo Essential Philo's core live TV streaming plan at $25/month (with a 7-day free trial) offering 70+ top-rated live entertainment and lifestyle channels, 75,000+ on-demand titles, 1-year unlimited cloud DVR, and streaming on up to 3 devices simultaneously, targeted at U.S. consumers who want a low-cost alternative to cable and sports-heavy bundles.
• Philo Bundle+ Philo's premium bundle at $33/month (advertised as saving $22/month vs. buying the streaming apps separately) that includes the full Essential offering plus access to HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+, discovery+, All Reality, and an expanded 80,000+ title on-demand library for U.S. consumers who want live TV consolidated with premium streaming apps in one bill.
• Philo Free Channels A free, no-credit-card-required streaming tier offering a curated lineup of ad-supported channels (All Reality, TV One Crime & Justice, A&E Crime 360, Game Show Central, BBC News, etc.) so viewers can sample Philo before subscribing to a paid plan; cloud DVR recordings on this tier are saved for 30 days.
• Philo Pause Ads A Connected TV ad format that appears when viewers pause content, available across Philo's full ad-supported footprint via both direct sales and programmatic activation through Philo's native ad server, integrated with Magnite, Index Exchange, Kargo, Nexxen, OpenGlass, OpenX, TripleLift, and WunderKIND Ads, sold to brand advertisers and media buyers seeking engaged streaming audiences.
• Hallmark+ add-on Optional ad-free premium add-on for $8/month streaming exclusive Hallmark+ originals, reality, rom-coms, cozy mysteries, heartfelt dramas, and beloved holiday movies, layered onto a base Philo plan for U.S. consumers.
• ALLBLK add-on Optional ad-free premium add-on for $7/month streaming original series, independent films, nostalgic Black cinema, reality programming, and stage plays, layered onto a base Philo plan.
• MGM+ add-on Optional ad-free premium add-on for $8/month streaming MGM+ hits, fan favorites, original series, documentaries, and comedy specials, layered onto a base Philo plan.
• Movies & More add-on Optional premium add-on for $3/month featuring award-winning films, cult classics, celebrity stories, and documentaries, layered onto a base Philo plan.
• STARZ add-on Optional ad-free premium add-on for $12/month streaming STARZ hits, classic movies, and original series, layered onto a base Philo plan.
• AMC+ ad-free add-on Optional ad-free AMC+ add-on for an additional $4/month beyond the base subscription, providing ad-free access to the entire AMC+ library for U.S. consumers who already have an AMC+-enabled Philo plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• $25/month starting price (vs. $83-$90 for YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV) and $33/month for the Bundle+ tier that bundles in HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+, and discovery+
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• MagnitecoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026Magnite is one of the programmatic partners Philo collaborated with to launch pause ads across its full ad-supported footprint, accessible both directly and programmatically through Philo's native ad server integration. Philo positioned itself as among the first in the industry to bring pause ads to market through both direct and programmatic channels simultaneously.
• Index ExchangecoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026Index Exchange is one of the programmatic platforms integrated with Philo for the launch of pause ads, enabling advertisers to access the format through direct and programmatic activation simultaneously.
• KargocoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026Kargo is one of the programmatic partners integrated with Philo for the launch of pause ads across Philo's full ad-supported footprint, streamlining advertiser access.
• NexxencoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026Nexxen is one of the programmatic platforms that partnered with Philo to launch pause ads across its ad-supported footprint, accessible via both direct and programmatic channels. Nexxen also separately partnered with agency H/L on data-driven CTV advertising strategies that explicitly leverage Philo and DIRECTV inventory.
• OpenGlasscoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026OpenGlass is one of the programmatic partners integrated with Philo to bring pause ads to market across Philo's ad-supported footprint.
• OpenXcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026OpenX is one of the programmatic partners integrated with Philo to bring pause ads to market across Philo's ad-supported footprint.
• TripleLiftcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026TripleLift is one of the programmatic partners integrated with Philo to bring pause ads to market across Philo's ad-supported footprint.
• WunderKIND AdscoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026WunderKIND Ads is one of the programmatic partners integrated with Philo to bring pause ads to market across Philo's ad-supported footprint.
• HBO Max (Basic with Ads)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 20 April 2026HBO Max Basic with Ads is included in Philo's $33/month Bundle+ plan, advertised as part of a savings of $22/month vs. buying HBO Max ($10.99/mo) and discovery+ ($5.99/mo) separately. Bundle+ subscribers access HBO Max Basic with Ads by activating the service through their Philo account page.
• Discovery+flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 20 April 2026discovery+ is included in Philo's $33/month Bundle+ plan and accessible via activation through the Philo account page. The combined bundle with HBO Max is advertised as saving $22/month vs. purchasing the streaming apps separately.
• AMC+flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 20 April 2026AMC+ is included in Philo's $33/month Bundle+ plan with early access to new episodes and a library of hit originals; ad-free AMC+ is also offered as a $4/month add-on to other Philo plans.
• ReelgoodcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 April 2026Reelgood integrates its metadata and catalog intelligence into Philo's machine-learning infrastructure to improve programming and personalization on the U.S. streaming service. Reelgood tracks 300+ streaming services across more than two dozen countries and maintains a database of more than 4 million titles, enabling Philo to identify viewer trends and guide content acquisition decisions. The integration refines recommendation logic and fills gaps in Philo's library based on cross-platform viewing data.
• Warner Bros. DiscoveryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Warner Bros. Discovery is a premium content partner cited by Philo Head of Advertising Partnerships Aulden Kaye Yi as supplying premium content for Philo's programmatic, contextually relevant ad targeting strategy. Discovery Channel, HGTV, ID, TLC, Food Network, Animal Planet, and other Warner Bros. Discovery networks anchor Philo's 70+ channel lineup.
• ParamountflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Paramount is a premium content partner cited by Philo as part of its programmatic, contextually relevant ad targeting across premium content. Paramount Network and related Paramount content feature in Philo's channel lineup.
• H/L (agency partner of Nexxen)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2026Nexxen (NASDAQ: NEXN) partnered with independent agency H/L to offer data-driven CTV advertising solutions that explicitly leverage Philo and DIRECTV premium CTV inventory. H/L has achieved up to a 14x lift in conversion outcomes for clients across verticals such as automotive and insurance by leveraging Nexxen's demand-side platform and advanced analytics, with results validated by Marketing Mix Modeling. The collaboration responds to streaming surpassing broadcast+cable for the first time in 2025 (44.8% of total TV usage).
• QVCmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026QVC Group announced a partnership with streaming service Philo as part of its turnaround strategy focused on live shopping content and technology growth. QVC is adding new wellness and beauty brands (K18, Make Time Wellness, Karma, Medicine Mama) and live demonstration shows, with the partnership designed to expand QVC's streaming distribution. QVC Group reported Q3 revenue of $2.2 billion, down 5.6% year-over-year, with operating income down nearly 61%.
• Universal AdscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 December 2025Universal Ads added Philo as a new third-party publisher partner to its Universal Audience Network, expanding the network to over 20 partners and giving social-first brands access to Philo's premium streaming video environment. Other new partners joining at the same time include Cox Media, Samsung Ads, Telly, and Vevo.
• Parks AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Parks Associates produced its S.O.S. State of Streaming Report in partnership with Adeia, Broadpeak, Philo, Skreens, Sling TV, and InterDigital. The report, released at the 8th annual Future of Video conference (Nov 18-20, Marina del Rey), finds nearly 50% of US pay-TV households receive service via internet-delivered platforms (vMVPDs 25-30%, ISP-bundled streaming 20%), with traditional pay-TV still serving about 42%. Philo also co-published a separate Parks Associates white paper, 'Unified Streaming: Unlocking Next-Gen Advertising,' based on quarterly research of 8,000 US internet households.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sling TV: Dish Network-owned vMVPD offering a low-priced live TV streaming bundle — the most direct price-positioning competitor to Philo's Essential plan (Sling Orange+Blue at $61 vs. Philo at $25).
• YouTube TV: Alphabet-owned vMVPD with sports, locals, and news at $83/month — the premium-content benchmark against which Philo positions on price, channels, and DVR.
• Hulu + Live TV: Disney-owned vMVPD combining live TV with Hulu's on-demand library — directly competes with Philo's Bundle+ for entertainment-and-bundle seekers.
• DirecTV Stream: TPG-owned vMVPD (formerly AT&T TV) priced near $90/month — competes in the same live TV streaming category, with broader sports and locals than Philo.
• Fubo: Sports-first vMVPD with growing entertainment and news — competes for the same live-TV-streaming cord-cutter segment, opposite end of the sports-vs-entertainment positioning spectrum.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix: Largest US subscription streaming incumbent; competes for entertainment viewing time and increasingly bundles with partners (e.g., live events) — overlapping audience but on-demand rather than live TV.
• Amazon Prime Video: Amazon-owned SVOD included with Prime and sold with ads — overlapping entertainment viewer base and competing for CTV ad dollars.
• Disney+: Disney-owned streaming bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) — directly substitutes for parts of Philo's Bundle+ and competes for family / entertainment streaming share.
• Peacock: NBCUniversal-owned streaming service with live channels and entertainment — competes for the same entertainment-streaming hours and ad-supported CTV inventory.

Emerging players

• Crackle: Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service from Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment — overlaps with Philo's Free Channels tier and CTV ad-supported positioning at a lower price point.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/philo
• Facebookfacebook.com/philotv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors20 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philo