AT&T DirecTV Now Shanks Cord Cutters With A $5 Rate Hike Right In The Gut
All of AT&T's DirecTV Now plans will see a $5 increase, meaning that the most basic "Live a Little" plan will now cost you $45. The next step up, "Just Right", rises to $55 (from $50) while the "Go Big" plan has increased to $65. For those that want everything including the kitchen sink, the "Gotta Have It" plan is now $75.
According to cordcutters, the price hike goes into effect starting on July 26th for new customers. Existing customers will see the new prices reflected when their billing cycle restarts. For its part, AT&T's has provided the following statement to justify its price increase:
In the 18 months since our launch, we have continued to evolve our DIRECTV NOW products to serve this new customer set and compare favorably with our competitors. To continue delivering the best possible streaming experience for both new and existing customers, we're bringing the cost of this service in line with the market—which starts at a $40 price point.
To be fair, Sling TV did raise the price of its basic Sling Orange package by $5 late last month but didn't touch pricing for its other plans. “Programming fees only go one direction, and that’s up," said Sling TV president Warren Schlichting in a blog post announcing the change. Likewise, YouTube TV increased its price by $5, going from $35 to $40 per month back in early March.
For those crying foul over AT&T's price increase, it will kindly point you towards its newly launched WatchTV streaming service, which includes 31 channels of live programming (along with 15,000 TV shows and movies on-demand) for $15 per month. This service comes free to subscribers of AT&T’s new Unlimited &More and Unlimited &More Premium phone plans
