Verizon Communications Inc. said its FiOS service will offer new TV packages aimed at giving customers flexibility to purchase only certain groups of channels they want to watch, the latest sign of how pay-TV providers are adapting to stepped-up competition. (Update: Verizon to buy AOL for $4.4 billion).

Starting April 19, consumers will be able to sign up for a slim package of TV channels that includes broadcasters such as ABC and Fox, as well as CNN, AMC, Food Network and others. They can then add on “channel packs” covering various genres, such as sports, kids, pop culture and lifestyle.

FiOS’s cheapest plan will cost $55 a month and will include two channel packs. Each additional package, which can consist of about 10 to 17 channels, will cost $10 a month. Customers will be able to switch to a different channel pack after having one for 30 days.

“Customers want flexibility to turn channels on and turn channels off,” said Tami Erwin, president of Verizon FiOS, which serves around 5 million video subscribers.

The move comes as pay-TV distributors such as Verizon are facing mounting pressure to give consumers more choice in how they buy TV, instead of requiring them to purchase a large bundle of channels, including many they don’t want.