PlayStation Vue is the latest live TV streaming service to encounter a price increase.
The confirmation on this has come from PlayStation itself which cites the rising costs for content as the reason behind the $5 price increase.
This is a service-wide increase which means it does affect all PlayStation Vue plans equally. What’s more, this is an increase that has taken immediate effect for new subscribers – anyone who looks to sign up to PlayStation Vue today will encounter the higher price points.
This is also a service-wide increase in the sense that it affects all subscribers – both new and existing. Although current subscribers are being given a grace period, albeit a short one. PlayStation, states the new price will take effect for current subscribers starting from July 31.
It is important to note, this date will vary depending on the individual subscriber’s billing cycle, but put simply, the price rise will be in effect on the first bill on or following July 31, 2019.
As the price increase is already live for new subscribers, the entry-level “Access” plan now costs at $49.99 per month. Likewise, the “Core” plan has now risen to $54.99 per month and the “Elite” plan to $64.99 per month. The most expensive “Ultra” plan will now cost you $84.99 per month.
In spite of the latest price increase, PlayStation refers to its take on live TV as the “premier destination for live TV streaming” by highlighting the channel lineup in general, as well as stating how it offers the “most robust assortment of national sports channels.” PlayStation also says that going forward the service will “continue developing new integrations and functionality to enhance your TV viewing experience.”
The timing of this announcement is fairly interesting as it was exactly one year ago (almost to the day) when PlayStation Vue announced the last price increase. That too, was a $5 per month increase. Therefore between June 2018 and July 2019. PlayStation Vue prices have risen by $10 per month across the board. Whether that means PlayStation Vue subscribers should continue to expect yearly increases of $5 remains to be seen, although a pattern does now appear to be emerging suggesting it is a possibility.
This is not the only price increases that have taken effect recently considering this increase follows similar price increases this year by DIRECTV NOW, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV.
Hulu with Live TV went up by $5 in January and in the months that followed both DIRECTV NOW and YouTube TV announced on average $10 per month plan price increases. Although some subscribers of both services will have ended up seeing even higher price rises as so-called grandfathered plans were not honored. For example, early YouTube TV subscribers were locked-in at $35 per month and therefore their price increase in May totaled $15 per month.
With so many services having now upped their prices in the first six months of the year, the question has been raised by many as to whether live TV streaming services are as good of an alternative to traditional cable and satellite services as they once were.
It is likely this latest PlayStation Vue price increase will resurface that debate once again.