DIRECTV STREAM recently announced a price hike that led many to question if live streaming services would just end up like cable. Thanks to a new report, we have a good idea of exactly how much the average American pays for live television and how DIRECTV STREAM stacks up.
According to a report from Leichtman Research Group, the average live TV bill is now $112.70 a month. That figure, which includes like cable TV companies Comcast and Spectrum, satellite providers like Dish Network and live streaming services like DIRECTV STREAM, is up 5% from 2018. It’s not a huge surprise that we’re all paying more.
But even if DIRECTV STREAM contributed to that rise, the service itself could help you beat that average — and handily. A year’s worth of pay TV services at that average rate would cost $1,352.40. A year of DIRECTV STREAM at the new rate would cost $959.88. Based on that average, DIRECTV STREAM would save you $32.71 a month, or $392.52 for the year. That includes the new price hike to $79.99 a month.
Over three years, that could add up to over $1,177 in savings compared to paying what the average American pays.
Keep in mind that the average price isn’t affixed to any one service, but is an amalgamation of different types of plans. But given how much lower DIRECTV STREAM is, it stands to reason that there are cable and satellite offerings that are even more expensive.
Increaslying its important to look at the fees on cable TV. Earlier this year, Comcast raised the price of its Broadcast TV fee to $31.25 a month on top of the advertised price. Not only that, but you will also find in many areas a $9.10 RSN fee.
This means Comcast is adding $40.31 to many of its TV packages on top of the advertised price. So that $70 Poplar TV package that offers 125+ channels will now cost you over $110 a month once they add in the RSN and broadest TV fee.
With the potential for big savings, you can see why more Americans than ever are ditching higher cable TV prices and becoming cord cutters.