Published On: April 23, 2015

Verizon Adds Scaled-Down, Customizable FiOS Package

Published On: April 23, 2015
Last Updated on: October 31, 2020
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Verizon Adds Scaled-Down, Customizable FiOS Package

Verizon has introduced a scaled-down, customizable FiOS cable TV package that, similar to Dish's Sling TV service, lets you add optional genre-oriented bundles. For $54.99 per month, you get 44 base channels and two free Channel Packs, such as Sports,...

Verizon Adds Scaled-Down, Customizable FiOS Package

By Author: Home Theater Review
The staff at HomeTheaterReview.com is comprised of experts who are dedicated to helping you make better informed buying decisions.

Verizon-FiOS-Logo.jpgVerizon has introduced a scaled-down, customizable FiOS cable TV package that, similar to Dish's Sling TV service, lets you add optional genre-oriented bundles. For $54.99 per month, you get 44 base channels and two free Channel Packs, such as Sports, Kids, or News & Info. There are seven Channel Packs in all, and each additional pack costs $10 per month. Verizon calls this the Custom TV package, and it is available now in areas where FiOS is offered.

From The Verge
Despite objections from ESPN, Verizon has pushed forward with the debut of Custom TV, a new offering for FiOS customers that lets them subscribe to a smaller list of "core" channels and then add on themed packs with extra networks as they see fit. The company is positioning Custom TV as an important step in giving customers more control over the TV they're paying for, which is truly a bizarre stance to hear coming from a mega-corporation like Verizon.

"No other subscription-TV service offers this level of personal control and value to consumers today," Verizon said in a press release. Viewers watch an average of 17 channels, according to stats from Nielson, so Verizon has trimmed the base package of Custom TV significantly. But don't confuse it with the cord cutter's dream of paying for TV à la carte; with Custom TV, you're getting a sizable bundle of around 50 channels. Most of the big broadcasters and important networks (like AMC) with plenty that most people are unlikely to watch. The stand-alone TV product is priced at $54.99 per month; a Triple Play package that adds internet and phone service runs higher at $74.99 monthly.

The most interesting thing about Custom TV is one network not included in the base subscription: ESPN. The hugely popular, Disney-owned sports channel has instead been split off into an add-on pack. Custom TV subscribers get to choose two add-on packs at no extra cost each month -- and they can be changed every 30 days. ESPN will obviously be a default pick for most, but it's not guaranteed. There are seven Custom TV add-on packs in all: Kids, Pop Culture, Lifestyle, Entertainment, News & Info, Sports, and Sports Plus. The possibility of being completely excluded from FiOS in some homes has drawn ESPN's ire. By divorcing it from the main bundle of channels, Verizon is violating existing agreements between the two companies, ESPN insists. "Our contracts clearly provide that neither ESPN nor ESPN2 may be distributed in a separate sports package," a spokesperson told Recode last week.

Verizon disagrees. During an earnings call today, CFO Fran Shammo positioned his company as the good guy fighting to give you more flexibility. "This is a product that the consumer wants," he said. "It's all about consumer choice. I mean, if you look at the TV bundles today, most people only on average watch 17 channels. So this is a way to give consumers what they want on a choice basis." On the subject of ESPN, Shammo said, "We believe that we are allowed to offer these packages under our existing contracts." He didn't expand beyond that, and it's very likely that the two companies remain deep in negotiation talks.

To read the complete The Verge article, click here.

Additional Resources
Get more details on the Custom TV package on Verizon's website.
• Read the Verizon press announcement here.

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