Dish to Raise Prices Next Month; Blames ‘Large Conglomerates’

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

Dish has announced at its web site that it’s raising the price of its programming packages by as much as $10 a month, effective September 19, 2024. The satcaster, which like DIRECTV and Comcast has raised prices annually for the last several years, is now blaming ‘large conglomerates’ which own TV networks for this year’s rate hike.

“First, the local broadcasters of ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations continually force us to pay more for their channels or threaten to remove them from our customers. The cost for these channels has risen over 200 percent over the past 5 years. Second, there are just a couple of large programmers that own most of the channels you enjoy. You may only watch a few channels, but these large conglomerates require you to subscribe to all their channels. We will continue to work hard for fair deals with these programmers to keep channel costs and the price you pay as low as possible,” Dish says in a statement on its web site.

Dish last raised prices in October 2023 when it increased packages by $5 a month. The satcaster, which has lost several million customers over the last decade due to cord-cutting, has been experiencing significant financial issues with some analysts predicting it might have to declare bankruptcy.

“We value you as a customer. The price we pay to provide you with the programming you enjoy continues to increase well above the pace of inflation. We actively fight every day on your behalf to keep costs as low as possible. However, due to these rising costs, effective 9/19/2024, DISH is changing prices on select local, core programming, fees and surcharges, resulting in up to an $8 increase per month,” the satcaster says in a statement on its web site. (While Dish says the rate hikes are as much as $8 a month, one package will rise by $10 a month.)

The new package pricing for Dish effective next month will be:

Smart Pack — $65.99 a month ($5 increase)
Flex Pack — $67.99 ($5 increase)
Dish America — $82.99 ($5 increase)
America’s Top 120 — $97.99 ($10 increase)
America’s Top 120+ — $102.99 ($5 increase)
America’s Top 200 — $112.99 ($5 increase)
America’s Top 250 — $122.99 ($5 increase)
America’s Everything Pack — $147.99 ($5 increase)

If you are currently enrolled in a Dish ‘Preferred Customer Offer’ or a ‘Price Lock Offer,’ your package rate will not rise until the end of your promotional period. Dish offers a two-year price lock to new subscribers.

As of now, the Dish-owned Sling TV streaming service is not raising prices.

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.