The Complete History of Frndly TV Price Hikes
Introduction
After leaving Sling TV, a group of former Dish Network executives launched Frndly TV in October 2019.
The newest live TV streamer on the block was much smaller than most, but they knew what they were going for, offering family-friendly entertainment to middle America while operating lean. While the content limited their initial 12-channel list, it also kept prices low. They offered three plans starting at $5.99 a month, with cloud DVR and more simultaneous streams added for pricier tiers.
However, like many other streaming services, Frndly was not free from price hikes. They’ve raised prices thrice since launch. They’ve mostly attributed each hike to the line-up as it expanded up to 50+ channels. It’s still one of the cheapest streaming bundles available on the market, but time will tell if Frndly will be able to keep their promise of keeping their bundles at a cost-friendly price.
Frndly TV Price Hikes
November 10, 2021. From $5.99 to $6.99 (Basic plan)
Two years after launch, Frndly TV made a strategic agreement with A+E Networks to add Lifetime, the History Channel, and other A&E channels to their line-up. As a result, Frndly TV first raised prices on all monthly plans by one dollar.
- Basic plan – $6.99/month
- Classic plan – $8.99/month
- Premium plan – $10.99/month
It seemed that 2021 was the year Frndly TV prioritized expanding their channel line-up. The A+E deal was the largest one Frndly made that year, but it follows after months of other deals that added channels like Curiosity Stream, Dove Channel, and GAC Media channels to the library.
September 2023. From $6.99 to $7.99 (Basic plan)
Frndly TV continued adding more content to their platform, reaching up to 40+ channels by 2023. Because of this, they increased prices on all plans by just one dollar.
- Basic plan – $7.99/month
- Classic plan – $9.99/month
- Premium plan – $11.99/month
They also softened the blow for existing customers through an annual discount, which would have cost the same as the old pricing depending on the plan. This discount only lasted for a year.
- Annual Basic discount – $83.88 ($6.99/month)
- Annual Classic discount – $95.88 ($7.99/month)
- Annual Premium discount – $119.88 ($9.99/month)
May 15, 2025. From $7.99 to $8.99 (Basic plan)
While increasing prices again two years later, Frndly TV still manages to keep their spot as one of the most affordable streaming services, raising it only by one dollar.
- Basic plan – $8.99/month
- Classic plan – $10.99/month
- Premium plan – $12.99/month
Frndly TV Future Price Hikes
Because it’s still significantly cheaper than other services, Frndly TV hasn’t garnered as much of the backlash its other competitors had over their price hikes. It makes sense. Considering the line-up expanded to more than four times the number of original channels, it’s actually impressive to see Frndly TV offer plans that are only three dollars more than they were before. Additionally, there’s a refreshing consistency to their price hikes that we rarely see in other streaming services. Should they raise prices again, it’s likely to happen in 2027, probably starting around $9.99.
However, Frndly TV’s future might be up in the air, due to Roku’s acquisition of the streaming service. You might know Roku best for their streaming players and their streaming distribution platform, but this acquisition marks their first foray into live TV streaming, with the deal expected to come through within 2025.
This merger will be the biggest factor as to whether or not Frndly will raise prices. The new acquisition could mean a shift in the way Frndly operates. Reportedly, Roku plans to keep all of Frndly TV’s team after the transaction closes, so hopefully the changes won’t be too drastic. But it would be interesting to see where Roku will take Frndly TV in the future.
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