Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
Q. I am so mad right now. I read your post about DIRECTV cutting prices for new customers, but what about us, the people who have had DIRECTV for years. When will we ever get a break? I am so fed up with these people!! — Stacey, Laurel, Maryland. Stacey, you’re right. AT&T, which owns
AT&T, which lost roughly four million TV subscribers in 2019, has quietly dropped the price for new subscribers to its two leading TV services, DIRECTV and U-verse. New subscribers to DIRECTV can now pay $49.99 a month for the first year of its Select plan (155 channels), compared to $59.99 previously; $59.99 a month for
DIRECTV and U-verse have lost roughly six million subscribers since AT&T took control of the satcaster in the second quarter of 2015. The satellite service had 20.2 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter five years ago. U-verse, which was owned by AT&T prior to the company’s July 2015 purchase of DIRECTV, had
Q. I read your article about DIRECTV raising prices again and my question is why, why, why?!! They do this every year. Don’t they understand that many of us are fed up and might cut the cord? — Tom, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Tom, you’re right. AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, has revealed that, starting next month, it’s
DIRECTV next month will raise prices on most programming packages for existing customers by $1 a month to $8 a month as well as increase the Regional Sports Channel fee by as much as $2 a month, AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, has revealed in a notice posted at its web site. U-verse, also owned by
ESPN is still on DIRECTV, U-verse and AT&T TV Now as of 5 a.m. ET on Saturday, but it’s unclear for how much longer. Update: It appears on Sunday morning (September 15) that a deal is done. See TVAnswerman.com for more information. AT&T and Disney are locked in a carriage battle that threatens to blackout
Q. I’ve read that DIRECTV could lose ESPN tonight? Is that true? Will it really happen so soon? It better not! — Yardley, Bel Air, Maryland. Yardley, the short answer is that we don’t know, but it’s possible. Let me explain. Update: It appears on Sunday morning (September 15) that a deal is done. See
AT&T and Nexstar today announced that they have reached a new multi-year programming agreement, ending a seven-week blackout of Nexstar-owned local stations in 97 markets on DIRECTV, U-verse and AT&T TV Now. The two companies were fighting over how much AT&T should pay to carry the Nexstar stations. Financial terms for the new carriage deal
Q. My monthly cable bill just keeps going up and up. My last bill was about $20 more than before and I’m not even sure why! I don’t want to get rid of my service but I gotta get my bill down. Do you have any suggestions? — Eileen, Dunkirk, Maryland. Eileen, I feel your
Dish this weekend has begun alerting existing subscribers that prices on their programming packages will rise in January, the fifth major pay TV operator to announce that it’s hiking monthly video fees in 2019. DIRECTV, U-verse, Comcast, Charter and now Dish have all announced that prices will go up, although the pay TV industry has
DIRECTV next month will raise prices on most programming packages for existing customers by $1 a month to $8 a month as well as hike the Regional Sports Channel fee in select markets, AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, has revealed in a notice posted at its web site. U-verse, also owned by AT&T, will raise most
Q. You wrote awhile back that AT&T’s deal to carry the Pac 12 Network would end in September. But the channel is still on U-verse (which AT&T owns). So, is there a new deal? Are the companies still talking? What’s up here? — Anna, Las Vegas. Anna, you are right. I wrote last month that U-verse,