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fxnetworks.com/fxnow
Cable networks have been scrambling to keep up with the trend of cord cutting over the last few years. When a large number of people decided to cut the cord and only use streaming services instead, cable TV networks reacted by creating their own streaming services and apps. Some were more successful than others.
It seems that some traditional cable networks have not taken the push toward streaming and mobile apps as seriously as they should have. I'm talking about the few networks that are either extremely late to the streaming party (such as CBS) or they have chosen to forego the world of streaming altogether, favoring instead offering their viewers to stream live television on their official websites if they sign in with their cable provider.
Others, however, have been thriving on mobile app stores for a few years now. The only way for a cable network to survive these days, if you ask me, is for them to offer their own streaming service. It is the only way to remain relevant and competitive ? you have to adapt to the ways in which your viewers are choosing to consume content. I pity the companies that are still, in 2020, not taking the streaming and cord-cutting movements seriously. They are poised to lose hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Many networks, like Hulu, have outsourced their mobile and streaming efforts by choosing to offer a live TV package that looks a lot like traditional cable. Some networks have decided to hop on the live TV bandwagon, seeing it as an easy way into the future.
I don't think that this will be enough to keep a cable network afloat in the coming decade. As far as I can see, if you are offering original content and you don't have a streaming platform of your own, you might as well kiss those precious ratings goodbye - also, can you believe that some networks are still canceling and renewing series based on physical cable TV ratings, not even taking into account streams? This is how one of the world's most popular sitcoms, Brooklyn Nine-Nine nearly got canceled a couple of years ago. It took a massive online petition from fans who primarily stream the show in order for it to get resurrected at a new network.
In the world of entertainment, it's clear that old methods no longer work. Networks need to be forward-thinking, progressive, and flexible in order to keep the attention spans of the masses. If you don't have an app that allows your viewers to stream content without a cable provider in 2020, you're probably doomed!
Which is why it's fortunate that FX isn't one of those companies. They've been able to bend and shift with the times, getting their slice of the digital media pie almost from the get-go. Whether it came from allowing Netflix and Hulu to syndicate some of their content, or from FX unveiling their own premium streaming app (the Disney purchase of FX probably pushed them in that direction), FX has been able to adapt in order to best monetize their content in the 21st century - in ways that are mutually beneficial, for the shareholders, the viewers, and the cable providers - a rare feat for a traditional cable network to pull off.
FX was able to satisfy everyone by making their most popular shows available on Hulu and Netflix, allowing people to sign into their official website and watch live TV (so long as they had a cable provider), and putting out a great premium streaming app, FX Now, which allows users to view on-demand content for free (with ads).
But what are some of the other great streaming apps on the market? Well, let's take a look and see, shall we?
Design
FX Now is a great streaming app that looks great and is very user-friendly. It has a sleek, professional look that is both minimalist and easy to use. The app just looks great - with a simple black background and smart choices for layout?you would be hard-pressed to find a better-looking premium streaming app.
FX Now is a streaming app that has a lot of content to choose from. You can browse by title, release date, or TV show. It's very simple and basic, but users seem to love it. It has an average rating of 4.5 on the App Store, and it seems to be one of the highest-rated premium streaming apps out there.
The FX Now app is frequently fixing and moderating reported bugs. Sometimes when I downloaded it, the app would not even run. Let's hope that is something that they will have fixed by the end of the day!
Content
FX Now provides its users access to all of the original content, as well as a large selection of syndicated movies. That means all of your favorite shows: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, American Horror Story, Atlanta, Snowfall, and many more. And this is just in the free version. You will not be able to access the latest episodes and content without linking your cable provider.
If you link your cable provider to the FX Now app, you will be able to watch all episodes (even the most recent) of your favorite shows on-demand and live. Surprisingly, not all premium streaming apps are live TV capable, so this is truly an exceptional feature.
Pricing and Plans
Unfortunately, it is hard to say exactly how much the full, unlocked, premium streaming version of the FX Now app will cost you. It depends on how much your cable provider charges for access to FX. Usually, though, I think that, in addition to whatever you already pay per month in cable bills, FX is an add-on channel for $4.99 or so a month.
However, it might be worth considering checking out FX Plus, which will cost you only a dollar more per month, which gets you all the latest FX originals (not live TV, though, I don't believe), as well as access to the entire FX library of shows and movies. Just something to think about.
Suggestions that I have for FX Now
I really enjoy the FX app. It's well designed and very userfriendly. I have no complaints in that department. Thing is, I would love it if it were possible to watch live episodes of FX shows without having to subscribe to cable. Maybe even pay FX directly, say, $10 a month for the ability to do this (as well as stream on-demand). I haven't decided whether or not I want to sign up for traditional cable, but if FX could push themselves a little bit further and offer an FX specific option that allowed for live streaming, that would set this premium streaming app apart from the rest.
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