Just as customers probably hoped things couldn’t get any worse, DirecTV have now announced price hikes across all of their packages. This will come into effect on October 6, 2024. Only recently, all Disney-owned channels were removed from the platform due to a dispute.
DirecTV have said the following: “DIRECTV strives to align the content customers receive with the price they pay for their service. We are working aggressively with programmers and content providers to get away from them continuing to saddle TV distributors with higher fees and bundles of multiple channels that customers may not want, and giving customers the channels they want at the price they are willing pay for them.”
Let’s take a look at the increases:
- Choice: $114.99/mo (previously $108.99) – $6 increase
- Ultimate: $129.99/mo (previously $119.99) – $10 increase
- Premier: $169.99/mo (previously $164.99) – $5 increase
Another reason this would come as a shock to customers, is because there has already been a price increase this year. Subscribers will undoutedbly be considering their options in light of this news. Not only have they lost a lot of channels, but they will now be paying more for this.
DirecTV even took to Twitter to answer some frustrated customers, and urged “switching is not the answer”. They went on to say “The loss of sports, shows, and movies affect the entire industry, including streaming services.”
Despite DirecTV’s comments, cancellations will be very hard to avoid in this situation. There are streaming services that will include the channels that have been taken away, and for a smaller price too. If DirecTV want to keep customers onboard, they will have to provide incentives to keep their subscriptions.
Blackouts are possible with any streaming platform, but customers will have to compare the likelihood of blackouts between different platforms before making their decisions.
Keep your eyes on Digital TV Life as we provide the latest on this situation.
