Think You Have a Price Lock on TV Programming? Companies Can Still Raise Your Rates.
Ready to pay more for TV programming in 2019? Whether you’re a customer of a cable behemoth or a customer of a relatively new TV service company, you’d better be willing to pay more for your television content this year.
Comcast
If you think that being a loyal Comcast customer with a contract keeps you safe from price hikes, you’re wrong. Comcast raised its “Broadcast TV” and “Regional Sports Network” fees starting January 1, 2019. The typical price will go up from $14.50 to $18.25 per month. The broadcast TV fee will now be $10 per month, up from $8 and the sports fee will go from $6.25 to $8.25 per month. Even the modem rental fee has increased. You can access a full list of prices here. Having a contract doesn’t seem to lock you into your advertised rate. That’s because contract wording may keep your TV package price the same but does not guarantee that your rates and rental fees will remain the same. In fact, this is how corporate giants like Comcast take advantage of unsuspecting customers.
FuboTV
FuboTV is a new company with the same old story. The streaming TV service is raising prices for its legacy subscribers in 2019. When FuboTV originally launched, their service cost $34.99. Since then, they have increased rates to $39.99 in most markets and $44.99 in the New York metro area. In February 2018, FuboTV raised prices to $44.99 across all markets. Customers who believed they were grandfathered into the $34.99 price have found themselves in an unfortunate situation. FuboTV announced that they would raise prices for all their customers, including those who believed they were locked into the $34.99 price. FuboTV’s email sought to cushion the blow by highlighting the company’s programming additions. However, for most consumers, the $10/month rate hike is not only significant, but it’s also unexpected.
So what can you do other than lower your expectations? Contact Billshark. We’ll lower your monthly bills so that you’re never overpaying.