*|MC:SUBJECT|*

After months of rumors and build-up, Philo's sports-free streaming bundle launched this week. For $16 per month, Philo provides 35 cable channels from AMC, A&E, Discovery, Scripps, and Viacom, along with the cable channel AXS TV and the digital-only channel Cheddar. Another nine channels are available for $4 per month more.

Philo is the least-expensive streaming TV bundle to date, with only Sling TV’s $20 per month Orange package coming close. Other bundles, including YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now, start in the $35- to $40-per-month range. The big trade-off is that Philo doesn’t include any networks that broadcast sports on any of their channels. So while there’s plenty of non-sports content on channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, Philo doesn’t offer any of those channels.

I plan to review Philo soon. In the meantime, check out my story on the launch (with a full channel list) over at TechHive.

Weekly Rewind

Free streaming video from your library: For this week's column, I wrote about Hoopla Digital and Kanopy, a couple of free streaming services that tie into your local library. Both streaming services work with hundreds of libraries around the United States to provide a trove of ad-free movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Assuming your local library participates, all you need to access this content is a library card.

Although Hoopla has been around since 2013, this week the company launched its first native television apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices (but not the third-generation model currently), and Android TV devices. Kanopy began working with U.S. public libraries last year, and now offers apps for Apple TV and Roku. For more on how these services work, read the full column on TechHive.

Amazon scuttles TV bundle plans: Amazon won't be joining the likes of Sling TV and DirecTV Now with its own streaming TV bundle. Sources told Reuters this week that Amazon didn't think the model was profitable enough, and didn't represent the future of TV anyway. (I've been saying the same thing for a while.)

While Amazon is more interested in getting cable networks to join its Channels initiative, which offers extra a la carte video services to Prime subscribers, those talks have also reportedly broken down as TV networks resist dividing up their own lineups of channels. I suspect they'll come around in the long run, but not without more lost cable subscribers, and more consolidation around a smaller number of must-have channels. Amazon doesn't lose much by waiting it out.

More Catch-Up

Streaming bundle subscriptions offset traditional TV losses last quarter.

Facebook makes a deal to stream live college hoops.

An informative explainer on Sinclair's plans to buy Tribune and what it means for over-the-air TV.

Sports Illustrated launches a $5 per month Amazon Channel with documentaries and movies (but no live sports).

YouTube TV arrives on some Samsung and LG smart TVs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now it's an annual tradition: I'll be taking next week off from the newsletter for Thanksgiving, though I'll most likely have a column up on Thursday if you want to check the Cord Cutter Confidential landing page. I'm also hoping several reviews and features I've filed in recent weeks are online by the time we get back. In the meantime, enjoy the holiday!

As always, you can contribute to this newsletter through my Patreon page (for recurring payments) and my Ko-Fi page (for one-time payments), and help inspire future story ideas by sending in your feedback. Just reply to this email or find me on Twitter.

Until December,
Jared

This week on TechHive: Here's the first sports-free streaming bundle

Weekly Rewind

More Catch-Up

Get Ready for Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!