Want to take a dip with fubo TV and see what the service is like? You better want to make a commitment. The service is changing its subscription format for new customers so that it will require a 3-month commitment instead of a typical 1-month commitment. This means that you better figure out whether you like it quickly during the trial period or you will have a substantial bill on your hands. A fubo TV rep told Fierce Media that the move is temporary.
“We have temporarily made our channel packages available to new subscribers as quarterly plans. We’re always experimenting with our channel package offerings to better understand what our subscribers like,” a fuboTV spokesperson said in a statement.
The move will certainly give the service a window into what people like to watch, but it might also cause fewer people to give it a try in the first place. It’s one thing for someone to decide to use a service for $65 and decide one way or another, but asking for hundreds of dollars upfront without some kind of a major discount or perk is a radical approach in a sector that is still figuring itself out. Other streaming services have encouraged new customers over the years by coupling longer commitments with free streaming devices or other advantages.
fubo TV is still considered an alternative to the cable by consumers, but the move feels very old-fashioned. The proof will be in the pudding in the end. The streaming bundle passed 1 million customers for the first time recently. And I suppose anyone who signs up for the first time now will show up in quarterly reports as a customer whether they regret their decision or not. But when presented with a choice between multiple options in the cord-cutting world many people look for a bargain. We shall see.
