Erik Gruenwedel

October 1, 2019

Disney pledges its pending Disney+ subscription streaming service will target families with appropriate content when launching in November.

Getting a jumpstart on Disney+, the Oct. 1 launch of rival platform Frndly TV, which claims to offer the first-ever live and on-demand streaming service tailored specifically to the family viewing audience and priced at $5.99 per month.

“While more live streaming services have become available over the last few years, none of them focus on the American family,” Bassil El-Khatib, CEO, Frndly TV, said in a statement.

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At launch, Frndly TV offers live and on-demand programming across 12 different channels, expanding to 20 channels over the next year.

The full lineup includes: Hallmark Channel, Game Show Network, The Weather Channel, Outdoor Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama, PixL, Light TV, BabyFirst TV, QVC, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network.

“Our channel lineup was hand-selected to meet the needs of our target audience, the American family,” El-Khatib said.

Frndly TV features include:

• Linear TV guide: Viewers can browse TV shows the way they are accustomed to, with the very familiar and highly sought after linear grid guide.
• Unlimited cloud DVR: Never run out of space. No worrying about managing your DVR. Truly record your favorite shows and movies and watch them whenever you want on any available device.
• More than 1,000 on-demand titles: Browse Frndly TV’s on-demand catalog, featuring more than 1,000 titles.
• 72-hour “Look Back”: Go back 72 hours and watch any programming that aired in that timeframe with the “Look Back” feature. No more forgetting to set the DVR or waiting for the on-demand asset to become available.
• Start a program live from the beginning: Don’t worry if you tune-in halfway through the program, Frndly TV allows viewers to start over from the beginning across every network.
• Available on popular devices: Stream from the comfort of your own home on Roku, Amazon, and Chromecast or on-the-go with iOS and Android. Apple TV will also be available by the end of the year.

For an additional two dollars more per month ($7.99/month), viewers will get access to high definition content, the ability to watch on two devices simultaneously and unlimited Cloud DVR that stores your favorite shows for up to 30 days – plus look back and on-demand access, similar to the core service.

And for just two dollars more a month ($9.99/month), viewers will get everything previously mentioned plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously and unlimited Cloud DVR that stores all recordings for 90 days.