PlayStation Vue raises price of streaming live TV, now $40
Sony has eliminated its $30 Slim package and pricing now starts at $40 per month nationwide, more than most competitors.
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To the chagrin of penny-pinching cord cutters nationwide, CNET's favorite live TV streaming service just got more expensive.
PlayStation Vue has eliminated its Slim packages, which started at $30 per month and were available in most parts of the country aside from seven major cities. Now it charges at least $40 per month nationwide.
Asked why the price went up, a Sony representative told CNET: "The transition to standard pricing for all markets was always part of our roadmap since we launched PlayStation Vue nationwide and began rolling out local broadcast affiliates in markets with Slim plans."
Sony claims PlayStation Vue has launched more live local broadcast stations (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) than any other Internet-based pay-TV provider, with least one local broadcast station for over 78 percent of the US population.
Vue is one of a growing number of live TV streaming services aimed at people looking to ditch cable TV. Unlike standard cable or satellite plans, there's no annual contract and you can cancel and reup anytime. Of course, you'll need a good broadband plan that can support HD video streaming, as well as a supported phone, tablet, computer and/or TV streaming device to actually watch on.
The PlayStation Vue price hike matches the cost of Hulu with Live TV, is $5 more expensive than DirecTV Now and YouTube TV, and double that of Sling TV's base package.
Customers who signed up for a Slim package before July 6, 2017, will be able to keep their service at the original pricing for three more months, after which pricing will increase to the new rates.