DirecTv no longer interested in maintaining existing satellite subscribers

I’ve been using DirecTV satellite for decades, as it produced a great product at competitive pricing compared to the alternatives.  That aspect of DirecTV is now gone.  While I don’t expect to get the exact same deals as brand new subscribers, DirecTv has always offered “promotions” to keep the price at least in the same ballpark.  No longer.  

After another price hike in January ate away at the value of my latest promotion, DirecTV told me to just wait until my current promotion ended (in March) and then there surely would be something they could do.  Then the promotion ran off, and they in fact couldn’t do anything reasonable.  So, for a satellite package advertised to new subscribers at $169, DirecTv wants to charge me (after a lesser promotion) $217.  After all the added fees for various rights, local channel access, receivers, I would be paying close to $275 monthly.  For television.   Even traditional cable on an equivalent programming package can be obtained for less.

And interestingly, I would even choose to remain a customer if DirecTV could make up more of that $50 gap on the package price.  I’ve had several conversations with their loyalty department about it.  They simply won’t do it and assert that their computerized system has nothing available to offer.  So rather than continue receiving revenue from me (at a rate similar to what they allow for others) they’re willing to have me cancel and instead receive $0.  Makes no sense, and it’s a shame, but they will be losing me as a customer as soon as I get new service set up.