Customers have been subject to some confusion regarding DirecTV’s prices. An email was sent confirming that customers can expect an increase of $9 per month until DirecTV had to reach out again to clarify that the increase would actually be $10.
A Spokesperson for DirectTV said: “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 to pay for them.”
Let’s take a closer 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
It’s unclear what effect this will have on subscriptions, and customers will have to weigh up if the new prices are worth it for the service they’re receiving.
DIRECTV have had a difficult year so far, seeing a 1.62 million subscriber loss in Q2, bringing total subscribers to 68.76 million – an all time low for the service. Not only this, but they also saw experienced a Disney channel blackout, with customers losing access ABC, ESPN and various other Disney-owned channels.
This blackout lasted 13 days, leaving customers furious. They eventually came to an agreement on Sept. 14, but a lot of subscribers were lost in the process.
A joint statement from the two companies said the following: “Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options,”
“DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV customers.”
With the year DirecTV have had, increasing subscription prices at this time isn’t what many expected. We will have to see if they have anything else up their sleeve.
