MUMBAI: Dish Network and DirecTV subscribers will have to gear up to shell out more for using their services. Come 2014 and DirecTV’s base ‘entertainment’ package will cost $58 per month, a $3 hike from 2013, the ‘premier’ package will cost $130, up $5 from a year ago. Rising content cost and desire to keep the satellite TV provider’s operating profit flat are being cited as the reason for the price hike.

Dish Network on the other hand will hike its fees by 5.5 per cent. This following its 16.3 per cent price hike in the beginning of 2013. While, the ‘welcome plan’, ‘America’s choice 120+ plan’ will cost the same, the other packs will get a $5 price hike and a $3 hike in the ‘smart pack’ which will cost $33 in 2014.

DirecTV, which has close to 20.16 million US subscribers, according to reports, will increase its price at an average of 3.7 per cent starting February.

Media reports have confirmed that both the companies will raise the prices of their various television packages and also increase the service fees as well.

Can’t say if pay TV service providers are looking at any such New Year surprise for consumers in India, but it surely doesn’t seem to be a happy start to the New Year for DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers in the US.