It might be more than coincidence that DirecTV is raising the price of their live streaming TV service just a month before the premiere of the last season of Game of Thrones. Why not? It’s poised to be one of the biggest television events of the year.
Previously $40 per month, the service now costs $50 for their Plus plan that offers over 40 channels. The Max plan with over 50 channels and additional sports networks costs $70 per month.
But there’s more. HBO, which typically costs $15 per month through various providers, is automatically included with both DIRECTV NOW plans whether you like it or not. In effect, if you already subscribe to HBO the new price per month is actually a $5 discount.
However, at the same time DIRECTV NOW is adding HBO the service is dropping over 15 channels in the lineup including popular networks like A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, and Nickelodeon.
The price hike and inclusion of HBO is more than coincidence. HBO’s parent company is WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner) who was purchased by AT&T. Amidst a confusing restructuring of assets and massive debt from the purchase, AT&T is looking to reduce carriage costs while boosting their own content. Getting to see the big picture?
From what we understand, existing DIRECTV NOW customers will continue to get those channels mentioned above. And, other premium networks including Cinemax, Showtime and Starz! will still be available for an additional $11 per month.
For new customers, DIRECTV NOW typically offers the first month of service free. This month use the promo code MARCH2019 to get the trial.
If $50 seems like a lot, you can always jump over to Sling where live TV plans start at $25 (either Blue or Orange). Hulu’s Live TV plan costs $44.99 per month and comes with several sports networks.
The channels dropped from the DIRECTV NOW lineup include A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, C-SPAN, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, History, Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodon, and Nick Jr.
