Sources inform “Globes” that satellite broadcaster YES will raise the price for its basic package 7% to NIS 185 per month, on February 1. Cable company HOT is also considering raising its prices in the coming months. HOT said in response that there was no decision at this time to raise prices for its broadcast packages.
YES raised the price for its basic package from NIS 170 a month to NIS 175 in May 2004. HOT also raised the price of its basic package from NIS 170 a month to NIS 176.50. It is believed that the price hike at YES will be followed by one at HOT.
YES reportedly has 470,000 subscribers. The cable companies reportedly have 970,000 subscribers, of whim 590,000 are digital subscribers and 380,000 analog subscribers.
Matav Cable Systems Media (Nasdaq: MATV; TASE: MATV), Golden Channels, and International Television Holdings (Tevel) launched their joint HOT brand in October 2003. Since then, reports, mainly from the cable companies, claim that the fewer subscribers have been abandoning cable. This was one of the biggest problems in the multi-channel television market, especially in 2003.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 12, 2005