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fxnetworks.com/fxnow
In the last five years, traditional cable TV networks have been struggling to keep up with the demand for streaming services. They've had to scramble to create their own streaming services and apps in order to stay relevant. Some have done this successfully, while others have not.
Some networks, it seems, have not taken the push toward streaming and mobile apps as seriously as they should have. Some traditional cable networks like CBS are either extremely late to the streaming party 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 and have been able to keep their cable networks relevant with streaming services. The only way for a cable network to survive these days is to offer their own streaming service. It is the only way to remain competitive and relevant with viewers who are choosing to consume content another way. I pity companies that are still not taking the streaming and cord-cutting movements seriously in 2020; they are poised to lose hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Many networks have chosen to outsource their mobile and streaming efforts by partnering with Hulu. This streaming service offers a live TV package that looks out of all the premium streaming services available, perhaps the most like traditional cable.
This paragraph is about how cable networks will struggle in the next decade. Some networks rely on physical ratings to decide if they should cancel a show, but that's not even taking into account streaming. It's been proven before that a show can be popular on streaming platforms, but still get cancelled if the ratings are low on physical TV. This has happened to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which was almost cancelled because of low physical ratings, but thankfully enough fans signed a petition and the network decided to keep it.
The old ways of providing content and surveying the success of that content are no longer going to 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 by 2020, you will probably be doomed!
Which is why it is fortunate that FX isn't one of those companies. They have, better than most, 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 making the wise and prudent decision to unveil 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. This rare feat for a traditional cable network to pull off is a testament to how much they have shifted gears over the years.
FX made their most popular shows available on Hulu and Netflix, allowed people to sign into their official website and watch live TV (so long as they had a cable provider), and put out a great premium streaming app, in the form of FX Now.
But how does the FX Now app compare with some of the other great premium streaming apps on the market? Let's dive in and take a look, shall we?
Design
The FX Now streaming app has a sleek and professional feel, one that is both minimalist and extremely user-friendly. 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 one of the highest-rated premium streaming apps on the market, with an average rating of 4.5 (from around 66,000 individual reviews). It offers users simple access to content by browsing featured titles and releases, live TV (if you have a cable provider), shows, or movies. There are no features missing from this app, and users seem to love it.
You'll also be glad to know that the FX Now app is regularly fixing and moderating reported bugs. However, when I downloaded it, the app would not even run upon opening it. Let's hope that is something that they will have fixed by the end of the day!
Content
FX now provides access to all of their original content and a large selection of syndicated movies. This 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. Note: 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 can watch all episodes (even the most recent) on-demand of your favorite shows as well as live stream FX shows from the app. Surprisingly, not all premium streaming apps are live TV capable, so this is truly an exceptional function.
Pricing and Plans
Unfortunately, I can't give you an accurate estimate of how much the full, premium streaming version of the FX Now app will cost you. This is because 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.
Although it might be worth 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 consider.
Suggestions that I have for FX Now
I absolutely love the FX app, its highly functional and user-friendly performance, but I do wish that it were possible to watch live episodes of FX shows without requiring a cable provider. I would even be willing to consider paying FX directly, say, $10 a month for the ability to do this (as well as stream on-demand, obviously). I have no desire to sign up for traditional cable, and I think that FX could stand to push themselves a little bit further into the future and anticipate that there are many others like me - offering an FX-specific option that allowed for live streaming would really set this premium streaming app apart from the rest.
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