FCC Adopts 'All-In' Cable and Satellite Video Pricing

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules requiring cable and satellite TV providers to specify the “all-in” price clearly and prominently for video programming service in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills. On June 20, 2023, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), observing that consumers who choose a video service based on an advertised monthly price may be surprised by unexpected fees that cable operators and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers charge and list in the fine print separately from the top-line listed service price. In the NPRM, the Commission proposed to enhance pricing transparency by requiring cable operators and DBS providers to provide the “all-in” price for video programming in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills. In this Order, we adopt the proposal in the NPRM to require that cable operators and DBS providers provide the “all-in” price of video programming as a prominent single line item on subscribers’ bills and in promotional materials that state a price.