A choice of plans

Verizon Communications is due to report its first-quarter results on Tuesday and curiosity has been piqued. Investors will be hoping to hear more about the company’s announcement Friday that it will begin offering more flexibility in its FiOS TV packages.

The new plan will let customers select from a variety of smaller bundles of channels that interest them, rather than the much larger bundle that has been offered for years.

It’s a move that many have called for, as competition is fierce because viewers continue to migrate to online video services. Consider that Netflix announced record subscriber growth on Wednesday and its stock shot up almost 26 percent this week to close at an all-time high.

Immediate reaction to Verizon’s plan was mixed because the new FiOS Custom TV option is still somewhat expensive, starting at $55 a month. Even so, the move could pressure changes in the pay-TV marketplace.