Ever-higher subscription fees for satellite and cable are a fact of life, and DirecTV confirmed as much by announcing rate increases yesterday that will take effect in February 2013.
The average subscriber’s bill will go up about 4.5 percent, although the individual increases vary quite a bit. The entry-level Choice package goes up a buck from $63.99 to $64.99, while the top-end Premiere package goes from $119.99 to $124.99. An HBO subscription goes from $15.99 to $17.99.
Here’s the full rate card with the new pricing.
DirecTV claims that its own costs for programming will increase about 8 percent next year and that it’s been able to keep rates lower than cable companies by holding firm on negotiations with programming providers.
The satcaster settled a very public scuffle with Viacom this summer, for example, wherein channels like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, and Spike were dropped for about a week. As a result of the settlement Viacom will reportedly collect more than $600 million per year from DirecTV, a 20 percent increase.