Analysts agreed, saying the company could be leveraging Al Jazeera America, seeking to get a per-subscriber payment for the cable firm in exchange for carrying the channel.

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New benefits include a subscriber-only hotline, the elimination of exchange fees to allow for a more personalized selection of performances and a guarantee that subscription tickets come at a minimum discount of 15% off single-sale prices for evening subscriptions and 10% off for Saturday matinees.

WSJ: Metropolitan Opera Ticket Prices Set to Drop

Most phones purchased in the U.S. as part of a subscriber plan are "locked" to a particular network to try to build in loyalty in exchange for cheaper handsets.

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