DirecTV Stream and satellite packages will get price hikes in January

No matter how you watch TV, chances are that you’re paying more now than you were a year or two ago. Virtually every internet TV and cable service raise their prices at least once every two years. And some even do so more than once in the same year. The trend continues as DirecTV has announced price hikes for a vast majority of its packages, including its Stream service.

Price hikes coming to DirecTV packages

Starting on January 23rd, DirecTV will raise the prices of most of its video packages. The company says this change is necessary due to “increased programming costs” – a familiar refrain. Compounding the issue is “higher-than-normal inflation across our suppliers,” the company adds.

Depending on which satellite package you have, your monthly subscription could be jumping up by as much as $10. Here are all of the DirecTV satellite TV price hikes coming next month:

• Minimum service, ChineseDirect Plus: No increase
• BASIC CHOICE, BASIC, FAMILY: $1 increase
• PREFERRED CHOICE: $3 increase
• BASICO, FAMILIAR, MAS LATINO, MAS MEXICO, OPCION ESPECIAL, OPCION EXTRA ESPECIAL, OPTIMO MAS, SELECT, SELECT CLASSIC, SELECT CHOICE: $4 increase
• ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT CLASSIC: $5 increase
• MAS ULTRA, MAS ULTRA ORIGINAL, FAMILIAR ULTRA, OPCION ULTRA ESPECIAL: $6 increase
• CHOICE, TOTAL CHOICE, TOTAL CHOICE LIMITED, TOTAL CHOICE Mobile: $7 increase
• LO MAXIMO, OPCION PREMIER, PREMIER, XTRA, PREFERRED XTRA, CHOICE XTRA CLASSIC, ULTIMATE: $8 increase
• MAX, PLUS: $10 increase

The same is true for DirecTV Stream customers. This is DirecTV’s internet TV service, featuring dozens of live channels and access to Regional Sports Networks. DirecTV is raising prices on both the current offerings and the old packages that some users still have access to:

DirecTV Stream (Current)

• Minimum service, ENTERTAINMENT: No increase
• CHOICE: $5 increase
• ULTIMATE, PREMIER: $10 increase

DirecTV Stream (Grandfathered)

• Minimum service: No increase
• OPTIMO MAS: $4 increase
• ENTERTAINMENT: $5 increase
• CHOICE: $7 increase
• XTRA: $8 increase
• ULTIMATE, PREMIER, PLUS, PLUS W/O HBO, MAX, LIVE A LITTLE, JUST RIGHT, GO BIG, GOTTA HAVE IT, TODO Y MAS: $10 increase

Here’s a message that DirecTV sent to customers regarding the higher prices (via The Verge):

While competitors continue to shrink their offerings, your DirecTV team maintains a steadfast commitment to carrying the most robust channel line-up in the industry and unrivalled leadership in premium sports and news content. In addition, we continue to invest in providing better customer service, releasing new technology upgrades that will enhance our signal reliability, and launching improved features. We are also delivering greater flexibility to watch what you want, when you want it, from virtually anywhere in the U.S.

DirecTV also notes that anyone on an introductory offer will continue to pay the discounted rate until expires. Once it does, DirecTV will start charging the updated price for the plan. It’s worth noting that if you change your plan, you may no longer be eligible for certain discounts as well.

Meanwhile, as streaming services continue to hike prices in the US, Netflix actually lowered the prices of its plans in India this week to compete with Hotstar and Prime Video.