The number of subscribers leaving traditional pay TV behind for Netflix is likely to continue to grow as fees go up again in 2018.
Variety reports that Comcast, AT&T’s DirecTV, Dish Network and Charter Communications customers will all likely see their bills go up in the new year. Providers blame the increase on higher programming costs.
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For example, Comcast‘s bundles will jump around $5 a month. The X1 Starter Triple Play package will jump from $150 to $155, while the Premiere Triple Play package climbs from $210 to $215.
Dish customers will see higher rates starting on Jan. 18, 2018. Most of its packages are increasing by $2 to $3. The Dish “Smart Pack” will get the biggest hike, jumping 7 percent to $44.99.
DirecTV plans across the board are going up, with the Premiere tiers jumping by $8, while the Select package is climbing by $2. DirecTV subscribers will pay a base $76 a month, plus the additional fee for the package they pick.
All three of Charter’s plans will climb by $10, while Cox’s plans will go up got 2.5 to 6 percent.
News of the higher prices comes a day after PricewaterhouseCoopers published its annual study on American consumers’ media habits. Of the 1,986 Americans polled, 73 percent said they use pay TV, while 73 percent said they also use Netflix.
During the third quarter of 2017, traditional pay TV companies lost 872,000 subscribers, Variety reported in September.
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