Comcast will raise the price of the average monthly bill, including video, Internet and voice, by an average of three percent nationwide in January 2022 as well as raise the regional sports channel fee and Broadcast TV fee by as much as $7 a month combined.
The cable operator last January raised prices by an average of 3.2 percent and raised the sports and broadcast fees by as much as $6.50 a month combined.
The 2022 price boost, which is now being communicated to Comcast’s subscribers, will follow similar recent increases by satcaster Dish, and streaming services such as Hulu Live, The TV companies say that prices must rise to offset the escalating cost of program acquisition. Pay TV operators must pay the networks and other content providers to carry their programming. (Hulu Live is adding Disney+ and ESPN+ with its price increase.)
“Content providers continue to increase the costs they charge us to carry their content, with broadcast TV and sports being the biggest drivers of price increases,” a Comcast spokesperson told The TV Answer Man. “We’re continuing to work hard to manage these costs for our customers while investing in our network to provide the best, most reliable broadband service in the country. Customers also have the flexibility to choose our industry-leading video platform with X1 or the highest quality streaming product with Flex, the only free streaming TV device with voice remote that’s included with broadband service.”
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Comcast’s package price hike will impact subscribers who have one, two or three products from the company, such as video, phone and Internet. The fee for set-top rentals will also increase by $1-2 a month in some markets.
The Broadcast TV fee, which is based on the cost of adding local stations in your market, will rise by as much as $5.50 a month in some markets. The fee has been as high as $19.50 a month in some areas so a $5.50 a month boost there would put it near $25 a month.
The cable operator’s regional sports fee in 2021 has been as high as $10.75 a month so a $1.50-2 a month increase would put it near $13 a month in some markets. (Comcast subscribers who lost the MSG Networks in Connecticut and parts of New Jersey due to a carriage dispute last October will not see a regional sports fee increase.)
However, not every market will see either fee reach those levels. For instance, subscribers in Dewey Beach, Delaware will pay a Broadcast fee of $17.75 a month and a regional sports fee of $6.35 a month when prices rise. The rates are based on factors such as market size and the number of local and regional sports channels in each market’s lineup.
The Comcast spokesperson notes that subscribers who have promotional plans for video, phone or Internet will not see a plan increase until their agreements expire. However, their fees, such as the Broadcast TV and sports fees, will increase in January.
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— Phillip Swann
…and… the complacent trolls of this useless country WILL continue to pay for MANY MANY channels that they never watch and will ONLY dump wireline service when they one day wake up and see that thru the YEARS they are now paying tons for stuff that used to cost reasonable. With the advent of digital TV over the air only the hillbillies in farm country will keep bending over for their
pals” at communist case.
OF COURSE the commy will say that the CONTENT PROVIDER is at fault but the reality is that while this is very true the CASH COW for ALL PROVIDERS is INTERNET because they CHARGE YOU for the pipeline and YOU pay for your own programming cost. IN THE FUTURE most cable companies WILL ABANDON VIDEO and it will then be a battel of who can provide the pipeline only for the best cost…WIRLESS WILL HIT WIRELINE very HARD and they well know this FACT is coming ever so quickly!!
Re-trans fees (charging for free over-the-air locals), sports fees (even if you don’t watch sports), content fees from content owners, admin fees to manage the charging of the fees and a partridge in a pear tree. Yet there are people that blame the Pay TV providers for “taking away their channels” when the channel owners want a new contract to collect higher fees. Don’t want to pay the higher fees? No channels for you! It pays to just bite the bullet, pay only for internet and stream the free Live TV providers (Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, IMDB TV, Stirr, Plex, Airy TV, Crackle, Freebie TV, Roku Live TV, et. al.). Math is good.
I always marvel at how this story never makes the rounds as much as when Netflix or Hulu raises prices. Netflix goes up $2-5 and people lose their mind. Comcast goes up several dollars a month (a lot more often) and people don’t bat an eye. I guess they’re just used to the rip off by now.
Actually people do complain about the constantly rising Pay TV prices. The Comcasts of the world always lean towards “cost of content” as their reasoning for higher prices. They do have a point especially when content owners want to maximize their revenue with, in some cases, the same content at a higher rate. At the same time Comcast has to appease their stockholders. Quarterly revenue is important to them because of this. Further, with re-trans fees heading north of $13 billion, said content owners of local channels will not admit publicly that said fees cover for lower viewer consumption, which translates to lower advertising rates, Getting paid for free over-the-air content has become a lucrative cash cow, thanks to the FCC/Congress, and it will not be legislated out of existence anytime soon. The acceleration of cord cutting along with the growth of FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) are making waves globally. Some small to medium Pay TV providers have given up and now only offer internet. Some even help their customers go full-stream after dropping their TV services. Eventually internet streaming will determine the platforms for the future. When 5G internet becomes a viable option for all, the effect on the industry will be compelling and interesting to watch.
one IMPORTANT thig to consider is that, THRU THE YEARS it is YOU the SUBCRIBER that was bitching for MORE MORE MORE channels then when you get the bill and it KEEPS rising you bitch some more !! CABLE WILL in the future be ONLY INTERNET and if you think you “need” a gajijgigaibt connecrion then by all means OVER PAY for it. STREAMING is also a LOT OF PITA WORK to do the SAME THING that all you had to do in the past was hit the up fdown and volume buttons. NOW it’s click this point that and goof with BUTTONS !! (a LOT have NO IDEA too and if u f u in the dark you could UNPROGRAM the whole thing too) !! BOTTOM LINE…YOU WILL have one one choice in the future, PAY or Do
With
OUT !!
(more than a few WILL do the patter too !!)
Y are you raising prices again oct my cable went up 30 dollars now its going up again in January I dropped direct cause they kept raising prices
“subscribers in Dewey Beach, Delaware”
I live in Dewey, but only get internet from the Comcast/Xfinity monopoly.
Anyway, how did you come to cite DB, arguably one of the tiniest markets in the US?
The notice was published by the town.
No mention made as to whether or not comcast is “absorbing” any of the supposed increase in sports or programming by providers. I suspect not. Most likely the consumer is getting the full load.
Anytime rate increases caused by content owner cash flow enhancement clauses in new carriage agreements, which have a negative affect on Pay TV provider revenue, some or most of the added cost will always be passed to the subscriber. Technology is coming to the rescue for those who go all in on free streaming services. There are apps out there that consolidate specific freebie services (FAST or AVOD) into a single EPG (electronic programming guide). One in particular is a free app called Live TV (Android only at this point) that groups together Haystack, Pluto TV and Xumo. Others are out there and improving everyday. You will have choices as the tech and the streaming options proliferate. Eventually the Pay TV providers and the content owners will feel the pinch and they’ll have to adjust accordingly. For now the trick is finding an ISP that can give you internet service at reasonable cost.
I cut the cord, dedicated a laptop to every tv and could not happier
Honestly I know I’m not the only one who is tired of Comcast, I just paid my bill and saw a notice about price increases in my area and to chat with the virtual assistant who opened my statement but it does not show anything about it so I searched for it online and found it’s increasing by $3 for internet across the board. It seems like they raise their rates in the fall every 2-3 yrs, typically between $3-$5. I just have internet with them and they do have a monopoly in my area as well, for internet the only other feasible option for me is Verizon Dsl which does not even compare to high speed internet. I did just find out that a local company who provides Fiber has entered into an agreement with my town to allow them to service this area and when they do I will be switching asap, my friend has them and they do not charge an install fee and is paying $80 month for 1gb up/down, I’m currently paying $110.95 but soon will be $113.95 for 1gb down and uploads are not even comparable, I’d be saving at least $30 month for a lot better connection. I have been wanting to ditch Comcast forever and finally getting my chance to do so.
WELL… While I am not a “fan” of CC or ANY CABLE company, (OR SATELLITE for that matter) Here is what you can EXPECT in the future. Since the appetite for TV viewing is getting ever smaller, the INTERNET is the ONLY WAY to make up for the “good ol days of cash” for the ops.
That said there will be MANY internet providers and RESELLERS, that pop up and more then a few will also disappear too. NOW here is a part that FEW if ANY are looking at…Since “SPORTS” channels DEMAND carriage numbers for the ops (all as SPORTS is shriking too AND PAID on the BACKS of NON SPORTS viewers) THE OTHER BASIC services (you know…TBS< USA, BLA, bla, Bla) are ALSO LOOKING to keep it going to SPITE the FACT that many of the "complacent" trolls" that BUY BASIC service do it out of HABIT until it become undeniable that they are…GETTING SCREWED for TV ! So while the SPORTS ppl hold the NON sports ppl hostage, the BASIC ppl do the SAME with the rest to the viewers UNTIL…the END COMES.
THEN, it will OLY BE INTERNET and FREE OVER THE AIR (which in today's world I would NOT bet the rent on THAT staying "free" in the future) SO, agin the bottom lie is…BED OVER AND SMILE and hope they kiss you when they are DONE or…GET OFF THE BUS !!
Comcast has to keep raising prices because there is so much dead weight inside the company.
I worked there for a couple years. It is like a government job, once tenured, they only have to “look busy” until they reach pension age.
And they pay very well, for really nothing