New Verizon Fios TV Plans See 16% Price Hike, Hides $20 a Month Fee to Use Your Own Apple TV or Fire TV
Earlier this week, Verizon Fios made a big announcement that they would be bringing their Fios TV App to Apple TV and Fire TV devices for the first time. While the company had said the new plans included a Fios TV One box at no extra charge, they neglected to mention that to use your own device would actually be nearly as expensive as using one of their own set-top boxes.
When the plans officially rolled out yesterday, there were two big surprises for Fios Users. New customers will have to pay $9 more a month (16% price hike) for all TV plans, than those existing customers who saw the price go up $6 in May. In just 18 months, Fios TV has increased by 30%.
| Jan 2020 | May 2021 | July 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mix & Match | $50 | $56 | $65 |
| More | $60 | $76 | $85 |
| The Most | $70 | $96 | $105 |
Fios TV Mix & Match now starts at $65, which allows you to pick five of your favorite channels on top of a base plan. You can upgrade to their More Fios TV for $85 (325 channels) and The Most Fios TV for $105 (486 channels) — which includes Showtime, STARZ, and Epix.
But, more egregious than the price increase, was that they seemingly are convincing subscribers to use their own devices to watch Fios TV, with minimal or no savings. After your first Fios TV One box, which is included in the plan, you can either pay $12 for each additional set-top box or $20 a month to use on unlimited Apple TV or Fire TV devices (but only two can stream at the same time). If you just want one additional room, it is more expensive – and if you want two – you are only saving $4 a month and have to use your own hardware.
Fortunately, there are better options out there. You can sign-up for a Live TV Streaming Service, whether its Philo, which gives 60+ channels for just $25 a month, after a 7-Day Free Trial –– or if you need sports services like Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, AT&T TV, or YouTube TV.