FuboTV is the latest digital TV service to hike its price, increasing its monthly subscription from USD 60 to USD 65 a month. The independent over-the-top TV provider added the USD 5 per month for all of its packages after losing 11 WarnerMedia/Turner networks and before ESPN and other Disney networks join the lineup. “Sometimes, to help us bring you new channels and deliver premium features like live sports in 4K, we need to remove other channels and adjust subscription prices,” FuboTV said.
Existing customers who subscribe to Fubo’s standard plans will see their bills increase as they will automatically be upgraded to a family bundle. . The virtual TV service is receiving a plethora of Disney channels as part of a multi-year deal, including ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ABC, ABC News Live, FX, FXX, Disney Channel, Freeform, and National Geographic. FuboTV's price hikes come ahead of the addition of ESPN and other Disney-owned networks, under a pact with Disney Media Networks announced last week. Under the new pricing plans, Fubo Standard increases 9%, to USD 59.99 per month; the Family Bundle is rising 8% to USD 64.99 monthly. Those increases take effect starting 1st August.
As of Wednesday, 1st July, WarnerMedia’s suite of networks, including TNT, TBS, CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, truTV, and Boomerang cut ties with FuboTV after the two companies were unable to reach a renewal agreement. The service is also set to lose several WarnerMedia channels, however, including TNT and TBS. Deadline reports that WarnerMedia and FuboTV couldn’t agree. As of July 1st, TNT, TBS, CNN, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, truTV, HLN, TCM, CNN Español, and CNN International are expected to not be available. “Sometimes to help us bring you new channels at the best value, and to deliver premium features like live sports in 4K, we need to remove other channels and adjust subscription prices,” the email reads. “Turner networks will be leaving FuboTV as of July 1, 2020, and subscription prices will be changing.”
Fubo last increased the price of its standard plan in March 2019, going from USD 45 to USD 55 a month. Google made recent agreements to carry WarnerMedia premium channels like HBO and Cinemax, as well as several networks from ViacomCBS like Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, and MTV. Critics speculated that because those deals were being made, and YouTube TV doesn’t have options to purchase a plan without some of the networks carried on YouTube TV. That turned out to be true for both YouTube TV and FuboTV.