Roger Fingas
As of August 1, prices for all of DirecTV Now's packages will increase by $5, making the cheapest buy-in for the live TV service $40 per month for 60-plus channels.
Accordingly, the company's "Just Right," "Go Big," and "Gotta Have It" bundles will cost $55, $65, and $75. These offer 80-, 100-, and 120-plus channels, respectively.
The new pricing is comparable to PlayStation Vue or YouTube TV, and follows hikes by the latter and Sling TV. It also comes shortly after the $85 billion Time Warner takeover by DirecTV Now's parent company, AT&T.
The carrier defended its move as a way to "continue delivering the best possible streaming experience for both new and existing customers" by "bringing the cost of this service in line with the market."
It did recently launch a cheaper alternative, WatchTV, available as part of "Unlimited &More" data plans or as a $15 standalone service. This offers just over 30 channels however, and no sports or local options. It also lacks any DVR functions.
Apple is preparing to get into the video game itself, developing an original slate of TV programming for launch in 2019. The company is even rumored to be considering a bundle of Apple Music, Apple News, and original video subscriptions, which might pose a challenge less to DirecTV Now than services like Netflix and/or Amazon Prime Video, depending partly on how much it costs.
Apple is reportedly spending some $1 billion on the video side of the equation, and has lined up exclusives with J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston, M. Night Shyamalan, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and other big Hollywood names.
Supported Apple platforms for DirecTV Now include the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. iPhones and iPads must be running iOS 10 or later.
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15 Comments
I haven't gotten any notices of an increase to the package I jumped in on right after launch, $35 for the Go Big package. Maybe AT&T is sticking to the promise of keeping that price until I cancel. Time will tell.
I also have not received any notices yet.I signed up last month with the $100 apple TV deal. I also get $15 off due to my at&t wireless plan and HBO is free so I'm saving a bunch of $$ over my old cable service.
...and here we go. Going to see regular cable prices for these streaming services soon.
If I get a notice about this from DirecTV, I'll go back to them and say "Don't do that until you give my my locals, otherwise I'm dropping you."