Trying to tune in to your favorite TV programs can end up costing you an arm and a leg these days with all the various satellite, cable, and streaming services out there. If you're DirecTV subscriber, you were likely already hit with a pricier bill in Jan. 2022, as the company introduced increased programming costs. With that in mind, news of a new pricing adjustment just a few months later might not be something you want to hear, but the TV provider did confirm that it will add an extra customer charge for one channel. Read on to find out what you might have to pay more for soon on DirecTV.
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DirecTV is adding a channel with a new premium service.
ShutterstockDirecTV subscribers will soon gain access to a new channel for an extra cost, Variety recently reported. On March 29, the TV provider will debut the Fox News Media-operated Fox Weather on its demand service DirecTV Stream. The weather channel will be part of Fox Nation, which is a "subscription-video service that acts as a companion service to Fox News Channel," according to Variety. DirecTV made Fox Nation available as a "premium add-on" for subscribers on March 20, at an extra fee of $5.99 per month.
"We want to empower our customers with more capabilities in how they choose to watch the content they care about most," Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, said in a statement, per Variety. "We’re pleased to expand our relationship with Fox News and add value for our subscribers by offering Fox Nation and Fox Weather.”
Fox could acquire more viewers with the DirecTV partnership.
iStockFox News is gaining broader distribution for Fox Nation through its new partnership with DirecTV, Variety reported. "We are proud to work with DirecTV, expanding the distribution of our signature streaming services, Fox Nation and Fox Weather, and offering more opportunities for our dedicated viewers to watch our premier content," Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, said in a statement to the news outlet.
According to Variety, Fox is hardly the only major TV news outlet expanding into the streaming space in an effort to bring in new viewers. On March 29, CNN is expected to launch CNN Plus, a streaming service that will offer live, on-demand, and interactive programming for the news outlet. MSNBC has also confirmed plans to expand its offerings through NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service.
The TV provider is also dropping two conservative channels soon.
ShutterstockDirecTV's decision to expand its relationship with Fox Nation is surprising to some, as the new service "offers a mix of conservative-themed programming and entertainment and true-crime programming aimed at appealing to Fox News viewers," according to Variety. This follows DirecTV's recent plans to cut ties with another conservative outlet.
On Jan. 18, it was announced that DirecTV would be dropping two programs owned by Herring Networks, Inc. from its programming. Subscribers for this TV provider will lose access to both One America News Network (OAN) and A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE) as of April 4. According to Reuters, OAN rose to prominence as a conservative channel during former President Donald Trump's administration and has faced substantial criticism for pushing alleged conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the COVID pandemic.
"We informed Herring Networks that, following a routine internal review, we do not plan to enter into a new contract when our current agreement expires," DirecTV said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg in January.
These are not the only changes being made to DirecTV's programming.
ShutterstockWhile DirecTV is adding channels and getting rid of channels, these are not the only changes the TV provider is making to its programming in the next few weeks. According to The Desk, the provider also announced that it will be relocating two channels owned by Urban One, Inc. on its DirecTV Stream platform to different packages. The channels, TV One and Cleo TV, are moving from DirecTV's Choice package to its Entertainment package on March 29. For subscribers, this means they could start paying less for their service. The Entertainment package is only $70 a month, while the Choice package is a monthly charge of $90.
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