FX To Launch Ad-Free Streaming Subscription Service
You can stream on if you think that FX won’t get in on the cord-cutting fun.
The cable network responsible for such critically lauded fare likeAmerican Horror Story, Atlanta, Fargo, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,The People v. O.J.Simpson: American Crime Story,andLegionis launching an ad-free subscription service called FX+. There’s a catch however, the service is only available to those who have a Comcast Xfinity subscription and who are willing to shell out an additional $5.99 a month. You gotta really want those ad-freeAmerican Horror Storyviewings.
FX+ will be launched in September, according toThe New York Times. In addition to its current shows, the streaming service will offer whole catalogs of dozens of past FX series, includingThe Shield,Nip/Tuck,Sons of Anarchy, andRescue Me.
FX’s chief executive, John Landgraf, said in a statement:
“This initiative represents the first of its kind for an ad-supported cable network, and begins to put us on equal footing with premium networks and streaming services.”
While this is great news for fans of the shows not readily available on other streaming services, the presence of shows likeAtlantaon Hulu, andIt’s Always SunnyandThe People v. O.J.Simpson: American Crime Storyon Netflix may throw a wrench in FX’s plans. I think it’s safe to assume that FX may soon be following HBO Go’s model and taking their series off of other streaming services to offer them exclusively on FX+.
FX+, which was created in partnership between FX and Comcast, draws some parallels to Comcast and AMC’s simultaneous broadcast subscription service AMC Premiere, whichsoft-launched in Junefor $5 a month. However, AMC only offers current seasons of existing shows while FX+ will feature more than 1,100 episodes of library titles.
FX joins the crowded field of cable-to-streaming networks, including HBO Go/Now, AMC Premiere, and CBS All Access, which will be the first to premiere an original series solely on the digital platform withStar Trek: Discovery. Because most of these still require a cable subscription, it’s not on the same level of cord-cutting as Netflix and Hulu, but the networks seem to be working toward that goal.
