Dish Network Starts "Free HD for Life" Promotion

Dish Network announced its Free HD for Life promo, June 3, 2010.  It basically equates to an all HD programming plus a $120 savings every year.

Dish is known for its strategic and competitive satellite TV offers and satellite TV deals that allow it to maintain a reputable market share in this industry.  The Free HD for Life promotion waives the $10 monthly premium fee to any of Dish Network’s America’s Top, Dish Latino Dos or Dish Latino Max packages. 

The promotion requires a commitment period of 24 months and a continuous AutoPay enrollment for a paperless billing.  Free HD for Life promo is valid only until September 28 this year.

Direct TV counters with Free HD to new subs

Direct TV’s answer to Dish Network’s Free HD for Life promotion is a 6-week campaign of giving free HD channels for its new customers.

Direct TV’s new subscribers will also be saving $10 each month in this promotion.  It requires the same 24-month lock up and continuous auto-pay billing with any of its basic packages, starting with the Choice package.

According to Direct TV’s spokesperson Robert Mercer, their offer is friendlier than Dish Network because Direct TV’s box fee still costs only $5 every month while Dish increased theirs to $17.  In addition, Mercer also mentioned that Dish requires its customers to pay for their first month’s service in advance. 

Free HD is the new battleground for Dish Network and Direct TV.  In the recent past, they had also been sparring over the actual count of the total HD channel they give to the people.  Currently, its Direct TV’s 18.7 million subscribers and 14.3 million of Dish Network that sums up the satellite TV comparison between the two largest satellite TV providers in the U.S.