Comcast readies another round of video price hikes in 2022

Comcast is preparing another round of video service rate and associated fee increases that will kick in January 2022.

The price of Choice TV Select will jump from $30 per month to $32.50—or from $37.50 to $41 with a set-top box included. In the Chicago market, the Digital Starter package will increase from $62.45 to $65.45 per month.

However, some of the most eye-popping changes come from increases to broadcast TV and regional sports fees. According to TV Answer Man, Comcast customers in Sandown, New Hampshire will see their broadcast TV fee climb from $19.45 per month to $24.95 and their regional sports free climb from $10.75 to $11.85. According to The Streamable, the same fees for Chicago market customers will climb from $16.20 to $19.75 and $14.45 to $17.50, respectively.

Comcast is also raising the cost for renting a set-top box, adding service to additional TVs, and on many of its Xfinity internet service tiers.

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A Comcast spokesperson told TV Answer Man that the price increases are due to content providers continuing to increase channel carriage costs, particularly for broadcast television and sports.

The new rate increases will arrive about one year after Comcast last raised prices on some of its video and broadband service tiers along with increased fees.

Rising costs is often cited as the primary reason so many subscribers are canceling their pay TV services. According to Leichtman Research Group, the largest pay TV providers in the U.S.—which account for around 93% of the market—lost approximately 650,000 net video subscribers in third quarter, compared to a pro forma net loss of about 90,000 during the same quarter of 2020.

“While pay TV net losses in the quarter increased from last year’s third quarter, annual net losses were relatively similar to a year ago,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, in a statement. “Over the past year, top pay TV providers had a net loss of about 5,100,000 subscribers, compared to a loss of about 4,820,000 over the prior year.”