After not changing rates for two years, Dish Network will increase the price of its core TV bundles between 7% and 20% effective January 2013, with most packages rising $5 per month.
Dish spokesman John Hall said the operator is introducing the “modest” hikes because of significant increases in programming costs.
“As an industry we have seen [programming rate] increases in double-digit percentages,” he said, adding that over the last two years all of Dish’s major competitors have increased prices.
Four of Dish’s core tiers will increase by $5 per month: the entry-level Smart Pack will increase from $24.99 to $29.99 per month; the America’s Top 120 package will increase from $44.99 to $49.99 per month; America's Top 200 will increase from $59.99 to $64.99 per month; and America’s Top 250 will go from $69.99 to $74.99.
The all-inclusive America’s Everything package with 290-plus channels including premium networks will rise $15, from $104.99 to $119.99 per month.
The Dish price hikes were reported previously by FierceCable.
Dish will be “communicating” the price increases to customers soon, Hall said. The satellite operator shared the changes with its retail partners on Tuesday, he said.
“We understand this will be felt by customers and we will be communicating to them as the price increase approaches,” Hall said.
In August 2011, Dish announced it would freeze prices through January 2013 after it suffered a larger-than-expected subscriber loss in the second quarter of that year.
While Dish will not be raising rates on sports packages, Hall said, certain Spanish-language bundles will increase between $2 and $4 per month.
Dish will increase the lease price for older-model ViP DVRs by $1, from $6 to $7 per month. The ViP 922 DVR will remain at $10 per month; the multiroom DVR Hopper will remain $10 per month with Joey client set-tops staying at $7 per month.
Customers who are currently on a special promotional rate will not see their rates change until the term expires, Hall added.
