Bundles and more bundles
Philo joins the bundling trend adding HBO Max and Discovery+ ad-supported tiers into its paid Core package. Current Philo Core subscribers will receive the premium SVOD services at their current $28/month rate for one month but then will see a $5/month increase after a month. New Philo subscribers will pay $33/month. Heritage Philo customers will be able to keep their current plan as is if they choose, but those packages will not include the premium SVOD services. The Philo Core package also includes over 70 cable channels and 100 FAST channels, one-year DVR, and AMC+ content.
The ESPN and Fox One streaming bundle officially launched at $40/month which is a $10 savings compared to purchasing them separately. Bundle subscribers will have access to a plethora of sports content including NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, college football and basketball, NASCAR, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Subscribers also have access to ESPN networks and Fox’s sports networks FS1 and FS2 as well as Fox News, the Fox broadcast network, and its local stations. The bundle is only available with the ESPN Unlimited plan, not ESPN Select, and there is not an option to combine this bundle with Disney+ and Hulu.
The Circana Take:
- Philo is finally getting in on SVOD bundles with the hope of increasing viewership, ARM, and subscriber growth, while giving viewers more programming.
- ESPN and Fox One give fans the ultimate sports bundle to date, albeit at a hefty price. It is likely these services will also see annual price increases as streaming now mirrors traditional cable TV packaging.
Netflix MLB deal features Yankees
As part of a new three-year agreement between Netflix and MLB, Netflix will stream the Yankees’ opener at San Francisco to kick off the 2026 season. Netflix will also stream the Home Run Derby as well as special location regular-season games with NBC/Peacock, including “Field of Dreams,” “MLB at Rickwood Field” and the “MLB Speedway” game. For the 2026 season, most Yankees games will still be televised on its RSN, YES, while around 20 local games will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Netflix has been expanding into live sports with programming including NFL games, WWE events and boxing.
The Circana Take:
- Netflix is positioning itself as a source of sports content while giving more viewers another reason to stay with the service.
WNBA teams up with Versant
Versant and WNBA signed an 11-year rights deal which brings over 50 games to USA Network beginning in 2026. WNBA originally signed the deal with NBCUniversal, but then NBCU announced it would spin off several networks into a new media company called Versant. The new deal will increase the number of games on USA to 50/year and feature Wednesday doubleheaders and postseason games. With the recent popularity in women’s sports, Versant is investing, having signed a rights deal with League One Volleyball. The company has a stake in the LPGA, which will have tour events aired on the Golf Channel – also now part of Versant.
The Circana Take:
- Sports is a huge component of the home entertainment landscape, and Versant aims to take advantage of this segment by bulking up content. It will also allow Versant to bring in more ad revenue and allow for increased engagement.