Verizon introduced on Thursday new bundles for its FiOS TV service which allows its customers to decide what networks they can watch, leaving out unwanted channels.
The new package will be called the FiOS Custom TV is slated to be officially launched on April 19 with subscription rate of $55 per month. It includes several local stations and a few of the most famous challens such as Food Network, AMC (Walking Dead) and CNN.
Verizon will also be giving their customers two out of their seven genre-specific channel bundles, including Sports Plus, Sports, News Info, Kids, Entertainment, Pop Culture and Lifestyle, according to USA Today.
However, some are already opposing Verizon's move. ESPN, one of the world's most famous sports channels, said on Friday that the new packages violate their existing contract terms. The sports network said that neither their ESPN nor ESPN2 channels is prohibited from being distributed in a sports bundle that is separated.
Verizon customers will be allowed to change their subscribed packages every month. They will also be able to add more packs for an extra $10 per month. Customers who want to pay less are offered a 2-year lock-in contract, while monthly plans cost more.
The company is also offering a TV and Internet combination packaged that includes channel packs and an Internet service with speeds of up to 50 megabits per second for $75 a month, excluding other fees and taxes. Verizon said that it is available for 2-year contract customers, according to Maine News.
Verizon's move is just one of the many experimental ones to help drive back customers from the rapidly-growing streaming industry such as Hulu and Netflix. Customers have been complaining about paying for channels that they do not even want to watch.
Some channels might be affected once the a la carte channel trend catches up as they would either gain or lose viewers.