IBM’s Weather Channel Tests Subscription Bundles

The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel is hopping onto the subscription bundle bandwagon with an offering that lets users check the weather, follow the news or get deals on hotel rooms from one platform.

The IBM-owned company announced the program Thursday (Aug. 18) in partnership with USA Today and Tripadvisor, saying it was designed to help users save money and spend less time managing subscriptions.

According to a news release, the deal lets consumers pair The Weather Channel Premium Pro digital subscription with Tripadvisor Plus or with USA Today’s Digital All-Access plan.

Related: Walmart: Better Late than Never as Streaming Moves Subscription Beyond Groceries, Gas

The news comes the same week that Walmart announced it was offering a bundled subscription with Paramount+ that lets subscribers to its Walmart+ program access the streaming TV and movie network for free.

Also this week, Grubhub teamed up with Bank of America to offer free Grubhub+ subscriptions to BofA cardholders. As PYMNTS noted, this deal comes weeks after a partnership between Grubhub and Amazon Prime members.

Learn more: For Grubhub, Is Two Partners in Two Months Too Much?

Bundling Tripadvisor and the Weather Channel costs users $89.99 per year while combining USA Today and the Weather Channel costs $79.99 annually.

“Consumers are looking for convenience and ease of use when it comes to managing their subscriptions,” Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company, said in the release. “Offering the bundled subscriptions is another way that we can provide our users with enhanced value to help them live their best lives.”

Read more: Study: Consumers Keep Subscriptions for the Fun Factor

PYMNTS research has found that while subscription prices were a major point of initial engagement for 60% of consumers, it became less important once they actually signed onto a subscription or bundled package.

The same research found that 66% of consumers valued enjoyment and convenience over essentially any other factor.

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