Does DIRECTV/TEGNA Deal Mean Price Increases Are On the Way for DIRECTV STREAM Users? How to Save Now
DIRECTV and TEGNA put an end to their monthslong stalemate regarding retransmission fees over the weekend, and it could mean higher prices are in store.
The standoff has ended! Ahead of this weekend’s NFL Wild Card slate, DIRECTV and TEGNA announced they had come to an agreement to restore 64 TEGNA-owned affiliates (mostly NBC stations) to DIRECTV’s airwaves. But as always with such retransmission agreements, the new deal could be accompanied by a price increase for DIRECTV’s customers.
- TEGNA-owned channels first disappeared from DIRECTV channel guides in late November.
- The agreement on a new deal likely indicates DIRECTV will pay more for TEGNA’s channels going forward.
- Pay-TV providers often pass the cost of increased retransmission fees on to the subscriber.
Why Does New DIRECTV/TEGNA Deal Indicate a Price Increase is Likely?
The Streamable has covered retransmission disputes like the one between TEGNA and DIRECTV many times before. The pattern these disputes follow is fairly standard; both sides dig in their heels, leading to valued channels going dark for large swaths of the country while executives on both sides try to wring concessions out of each other.
Once the provider finally gives into the channel owner’s demands for higher retransmission fees, a price increase for customers is almost guaranteed. Such a price hike followed DIRECTV's deal with Nexstar in fall of 2023, and just last week Fubo announced it was raising prices for customers days after reaching a new retransmission agreement with Nexstar.
The only thing that could keep DIRECTV from raising prices for its linear subscribers and DIRECTV STREAM customers is that, as mentioned, it just raised subscription prices in November. Following too quickly with another price increase would be a tough sell for existing customers, but DIRECTV many not feel it has any choice in the matter.
How Can You Save on a DIRECTV STREAM Subscription Now?
There are a couple of ways to save money with DIRECTV STREAM before any price increase is enacted. The last time DIRECTV came to a new retransmission agreement with a channel owner, it waited around six weeks to raise prices for customers, so the time could be ripe to pounce on these money-saving options.
The best way to ensure you’re not subjected to an endless sequence of price increases on DIRECTV STREAM is to sign up for a two-year contract now. DIRECTV STREAM offers a five-day free trial so you can give it a good testing before committing to a 24-month deal, and while you’ll face a cancelation fee if you decide to leave that contract early, you’ll also get to put fears of a new price hike behind you.
The second method you can use to save money on DIRECTV STREAM if you’d prefer to stay month-to-month with your plan is to sign up now and save $25 off per month for your first two months of service if you opt for the Choice or Ultimate packages. That’s $50 in total savings, but it’s a limited-time offer. If you wanted to get great savings on your DIRECTV STREAM service without being locked into a two-year deal, this is the way to do it.
Price increases are obviously a major stress point for consumers, who have to increasingly worry about how they’ll fit their entertainment into their budget every month. A price hike may be coming for DIRECTV STREAM customers in the near future, but The Streamable will always keep you up-to-date on how to access your favorite cable channels and save.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service, which is essentially the streaming version of the DIRECTV service. All packages include local channels and at least 31 of the top 35 cable channels. New subscribers can get a free Gemini streaming device from the company, in which case the service is called “DIRECTV via Internet.”