AT&T Confirms $10 Price Hike For DirecTV Now While Shamelessly Slashing Available Channels
Although rumors of a price hike from AT&T for its popular DirecTV Now streaming packages were brewing earlier this week, the company confirmed the move today. After raising prices by $5 back in July 2018 shortly after its merger with Time Warner was approved (and after it promised to lower prices for customers), AT&T is delivering a double whammy today.
For starters, pricing for its DirecTV Now streaming plans are increasing by a whopping $10 across the board. With the $10 increase taken into account, this is how much existing customers can expect to pay for their current DirecTV Now plans:
- Live a Little (65+ channels): $50/month
- Just Right (85+ channels): $65/month
- Go Big (105+ channels): $75/month
- Gotta Have It (125+ channels): $85/month
To make matters worse, new customers to the streaming service will only have access to two plans with fewer available channels. DirectTV Now Plus offers 40+ channels for $50/month, while DirecTV Now Max offers 50+ channels for $70/month. Existing customers that keep their accounts in good standing (and don’t make modifications) will be able to keep their current plans (and all of their channels) for the foreseeable future.
However, for those that are just now signing up for DirecTV Now, you won’t’ have access to any of Viacom’s channels and some fan favorites like A&E, AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV, TLC, History and BBC America. AT&T would likely tell you that you’re getting a little bit back with its new plans, as they now include the premium HBO channel for free instead of it being a $5 add-on.
But no matter which way you slice it, DirecTV Now going forward is a very different beast offering fewer channels for more money. Customers could previously top out at over 125 channels, and now they’re maxed out at less than 60. You could previously pay $70/month (including the $5 HBO add-on) and get over 105 channels; now that same price gets you 50+. We’re certain that this isn’t want consumers were hoping to post-merger with Time Warner, but here we are.
AT&T hasn’t been making many friends lately, as it is currently under attack from multiple fronts for its decision to label its 4G LTE Advanced as “5G E” to the protest of its competitors.
