By Jim Kimble / June 8, 2020
What Channels are on Philo?
Philo is currently the least expensive way to live stream dozens of TV channels.
For $20 per month, you get 58 entertainment channels, unlimited Cloud DVR and a huge-on demand library of movies and TV shows.
All you need is an Internet connection and a streaming device to start watching on your TV.
It’s the cheapest way to watch The Walking Dead on AMC. There are no sports and no local channels. So you’re not going to find a local NBC channel or cable TV channels such as CNN, ESPN or YES Network on Philo.
You can use Philo on a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV devices such as a NVIDIA Shield. And Philo has a responsive mobile app for Android and iPhones. And you can stream on three devices at once.
By focusing on entertainment channels, Philo keeps its prices low. Philo has a free 7-day trial that you can sign up for in less than a minute by using your mobile number.
And honestly, if you pair Philo with other free cord cutting optionsthat I’ll get into below, it might be all your need for live TV. I have been a Philo customer since it debuted in 2017, and wrote a comprehensive review on the service.
Philo Channel Lineup for 2020
- A&E
- AMC
- American Heroes Channel
- Animal Planet
- Aspire TV
- AXS TV
- BBC America
- BBC World News
- BET
- BET Her
- Cheddar
- Cleo TV
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Cooking Channel
- Destination America
- Discovery Channel
- Discovery Family
- Discovery Life
- DIY Network
- Food Network
- FYI
- Game Show Network
- Great America Country
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- HGTV
- History
- IFC
- Investigation Discovery
- Law & Crime
- Lifetime
- Lifetime Movies
- Logo
- MotorTrend
- MTV
- MTV2
- MTV Classic
- MTV Live
- Nick Jr.
- Nickelodeon
- Nicktoons
- OWN
- Paramount Network
- PeopleTV
- REVOLT
- Science Channel
- Sundance TV
- Tastemade
- TeenNick
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- TV Land
- UPtv
- VH1
- Viceland
- WE tv
How can I get local channels with Philo?
Philo does not have local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC or PBS channels. But there are lots of ways for putting together a channel lineup that includes local channels and Philo.
- See if the Locast.org app has coverage for local channels in your city.
- Buy a TV antenna and plugging it directly into your television. It’s easy to figure whether you’ll need an indoor or outdoor TV antenna.
- Get all your Philo and local channels under a single guide similar to what you’d see on cable TV. Adding a TV antenna to a Fire TV Recast, you can get all your channels in a single menu.
- On a Roku or Android TV device, you can use a HDHomeRun or another OTA DVR with a TV antenna to add local channels into a separate app.
In this video, you can see how the channel lineup appears within the Philo app, and options for watching local channels through your Roku, Fire TV or streaming device of choice.
Can I add HBO or other premium cable TV channels?
Philo doesn’t offer premium add-on channels. But it’s pretty easy to add HBO, Showtime, EPIX and STARZ as a standalone subscription that works on its own app.
Does Philo activate any channel apps?
Philo subscribers can activate apps or sign into a network’s web page to access live or on-demand content. But you’ll need to pay attention to what devices are supported as illustrated in the guide below.
Computer | iOS | Android | Roku | Apple TV | Fire TV | Xbox One | Android TV | |
A&E | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
AMC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
American Heroes Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Animal Planet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
BBC America | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
BET | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Cooking Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Destination America | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Discovery Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Discovery Family | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
Discovery Life | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
DIY Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Food Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
FYI | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Game Show Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
Hallmark Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
HGTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
History | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
IFC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Investigation Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Lifetime | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Motor Trend | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
MTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Nick Jr. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Nickelodeon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
OWN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Paramount Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Science Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Sundance TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
TLC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Travel Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
VH1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Viceland | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
WE tv | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Source: Philo
How can I watch live TV channels on Philo?
To watch live television channels on your TV, download the Philo app to a Roku, Apple TV (4th generation or later), or any model of an Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick.
Android TV devices such as NVIDIA Shield, smart TVs, Mi Box and Nebula Capsule II all have Philo apps.
You can also watch Philo using a PC, Mac, Fire Tablet, Android smartphone or iPhone.
How to cancel your Philo subscription
Philo has no contracts and you can cancel at any time. It’s really easy to cancel an account or start it back up again later.
- Go to your account page online.
- Click on “Cancel my account” at the bottom of the page.
After you cancel, you will be able to watch Philo for the remainder of your billing cycle. You can reactivate your subscription anytime.
If you canceled during a free trial, and never entered any credit or debit card info, then you don’t need to do anything else.
Got a tip for using Philo? Tell fellow readers about it in the comments below. You can look over the Philo’s channel lineup or sign up for a free 7-day trial without any contracts, sneaky fees or obligations.
For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.