Verizon introduced a new way of bundling FiOS Television packages.
Verizon Communications introduced Thursday a set of new packages for its FiOS Television service that enables consumers to opt for the networks they watch, an acknowledgment that quite a few Television fans only view a limited number of channels.
Scheduled to be rolled out on April 19, the new solution, named FiOS Custom Television, comes with a $ 55-a-month base package of channels that consists of neighborhood broadcast stations and some of the most preferred channels, which includes CNN, HGTV, AMC and Food Network. Subscribers also get two of the seven genre-distinct channel packs — youngsters, pop culture, lifestyle, entertainment, news & information, sports and sports plus.
But its plans swiftly ran into opposition from arguably the most important cable network. ESPN mentioned Friday that Verizon’s packs would violate the terms of their existing contracts. “Media reports about Verizon’s new contemplated bundles describe packages that would not be authorized by our current agreements,” ESPN said in a statement. “Among other difficulties, our contracts clearly supply that neither ESPN nor ESPN2 may perhaps be distributed in a separate sports package.”
Each and every further pack cost $ 10 additional per month. Following 30 days, consumers can alter their channel packs with out any further expense, Verizon said. Committing to a two-year contract brings rates down, but month-to-month plans are an solution for shoppers willing to spend a bit far more.
Subscribing to a well known Television-Internet mixture — 1 that includes the base package and two channel packs and an Online service of 50 megabits per second of upload and download speeds — will cost $ 75 a month just before taxes and charges, Verizon stated. The pricing applies to buyers on a two-year contract.
The newly introduced sports pack includes ESPN and FOX Sports. But to get regional sports networks, consumers also have to opt for the sports plus channel pack, which also comes with NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA Television, NHL Network and Golf Channel.
TNT, TBS and USA Network are incorporated in the entertainment pack. Animal Planet and Bravo will be part of the life-style pack. Comedy Central and MTV belong in the pop culture pack.
FiOS at the moment has five Tv plans and 4 of them will continue to be supplied, including its most basic tier, FiOS Nearby, that consists of nearby broadcast stations. FiOS Custom Television replaces Select HD, which now delivers a couple of popular channels, but not ESPN, for $ 50 a month.
Shares of Verizon (VZ) fell .53% Wednesday to $ 49.01.
Although a standard cable package includes extra than a hundred channels, Americans watch on typical only about 17 channels, Verizon said, citing Nielsen’s Advertising & Audience Report.
Verizon’s move is 1 of several experiments by the spend-Television market to retain its video clients from flocking to streaming-only solutions supplied by providers like Netflix and Hulu. For years, customers have complained about having to pay for the channels they don’t watch. The complexities involved in attempting to figure out cable businesses’ channel “bundles” also have soured quite a few prospects.
“This is an completely new way to personalize Tv,” said Tami Erwin, president of Verizon’s Consumer and Mass Enterprise group, in a statement.
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Verizon unveils new FiOS Tv bundles as ESPN questions validity - Standard Bulletin
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