FCC Requires Cable and Satellite Companies to Clearly Disclose All Fees Upfront in Effort to Improve Pricing Transparency

• Cable and satellite TV providers must now show total costs for video subscriptions, including fees, under new FCC rules to improve pricing transparency.

• Providers can no longer obscure charges and fees in promotional materials and bills, which has caused confusion for consumers in the past.

• The new "all-in" pricing format requires companies to clearly state the full costs on a single line item. Fees like regional sports and broadcast retransmission can't be hidden.

• The pricing rules are part of the FCC's efforts to combat junk fees and improve transparency, along with upcoming broadband labels and an end to early termination fees.

• Additional fees lead to an average $37 increase to monthly bills, per a 2023 Consumer Reports study, but cable associations argued upfront regional fee estimates would be impractical.