Comcast's move of Food Network and others to pricier package irks some subscribers

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

Consumers typically don't like big pay-TV bundles — until one of their favorite channels is jettisoned from the bundle they are paying for.

Unfortunately for viewers, this could become a more frequent occurrence.

Comcast recently moved some channels including Food Network, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and TruTV into a pricier tier on its programming menu. The company, among the nation's largest pay-TV providers, notified subscribers of the planned move in billing materials two months before doing so, but evidently some missed the message.

Those channels originally were part of a Digital Economy package but are now in a Digital Starter package that costs $10 to $20 more, depending on whether you are also subscribe to other Comcast services such as broadband.

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The move left some subscribers hungry for Food Network shows such as Beat Bobby Flay and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim shows such as Rick and Morty. They took to Twitter, Reddit and Comcast's own Xfinity forums to rant about the changes.

"Not cool that I lost the Food Network just before the last episode of Iron Chef Gauntlet & without warning," tweeted beauty and food blogger Becky Rodriguez. "I'm not paying extra for something I had as part of my package just a few hours ago."

Comcast told USA TODAY the reshuffling was done as part of the company's regular examination of programming costs and viewership levels.

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"We understand that some customers find this programming valuable, and we will work with them to explain options that may help them continue to watch this programming or other content like it,” said Jenni Moyer, Comcast's senior director of corporate communications.

Other channels including BBC America, BBC World News, Bloomberg TV, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and Smithsonian Channel were moved from the higher-priced tier to the economy tier.

This type of situation may become more commonplace because pay TV providers are walking a "tightrope" of keeping subscribers, while also balancing higher programming costs with Wall Street's profitability demands, says Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research in Durham, N.H.

By moving some channels from one tier to another, providers can potentially bring down programming costs.



"Of course, it is going to frustrate customers. That’s not their goal, because they want to maintain subscribers," he said, "but as a company they also want to control their costs."

That balancing act will only likely continue, as pay-TV providers see their subscriber base slowly dwindle. Comcast has 21.2 million residential pay-TV customers, but during the first quarter lost 93,000, compared to gaining 32,000 during the same period last year. The industry as a whole lost 285,414 during the quarter, according to Leichtman Research.

However, Comcast's video revenue remains stable $5.7 billion— down 0.8% — while its broadband revenue rose 8.2% to $4.2 billion during the quarter.

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Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.