How Much Will Your Cable TV Bill Grow This Year, Depending on the Provider
Cable providers are set to hike prices, according to a recent FCC report . However, they want their advertised rates to stay nice and low, so they just increase their commissions. Consumer Reports tells you what you can expect depending on the provider.
In its annual assessment, the FCC said many providers have started charging customers “broadcast fees” or “regional sports fees” to keep up with the rising cost of maintaining major channels. Fees are a way to pass the cost on to the consumer without actually changing the advertised prices.
If that sounds a little tricky, but it is, Consumer Reports has reached out to major companies to see how much more customers will be paying. Here are a few from their list:
- AT&T: Subscribers will now pay $ 2-8 more per month for most video packages, but the price increase will not affect the AT&T U-basic plan. They are also increasing the TV broadcast surcharge from $ 5 to $ 6 per month.
- Comcast: Comcast already averaged 3.8% this year. Television fees will increase from $ 5 to $ 7 per month, and regional sporting events from $ 3 to $ 5 per month.
- DirecTV: DirecTV has raised prices for almost all packages from $ 2 to $ 6 per month. It will also charge you a monthly regional sports channel fee of up to $ 2.56, but that depends on where you live.
You will definitely want to skip to the full post on Consumer Reports. They include several additional vendors as well as additional information on trends. Check it out at the link below.
Cable TV Bill To Grow More Than You Think This Year | Consumer reports