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AT&T's DirecTV Now expands its local channel lineup
As pay TV subscriber growth declines, regional content affiliates are looking for more ways to bring in customers (and their money) via digital platforms like Sling TV, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now. One way to stem the tide of vanishing local cord-cutters is to offer more local programming, which could entice customers to bundled internet TV packages. AT&T's Direct TV now service just announced that it has more than doubled its own live local channel line up, adding local NBC, ABC and FOX affiliates around the US. The company claims that the expansion gives DirecTV Now local coverage for almost 70 percent of US households.
DirecTV Now tempts potential subscribers with free Roku box
AT&T's DirectTV Now over-the-top streaming television service came on strong last fall. Launched against heavy competition from Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, AT&T decided to sweeten the deal for subscribers by giving away a free Apple TV, a year of HBO and a temporarily reduced introductory fee. Variety reports that the telecom giant is now giving customers a free Roku Premiere set-top box when they prepay for two months of DirecTV Now.
Watch DirecTV’s streaming service on your Roku device
Cable cord cutters, take note: AT&T's live TV streaming service, DirecTV Now, is available on select Roku models starting today. The service will work on nearly every Roku device out there -- 4K Roku TVs, as well as the Ultra, Premiere+, Premiere, Express+, Express, Streaming Stick model 3600R and the Rokus 4, 3 and 2 (model 4210). To access DirecTV Now on a Roku, new customers can sign up for the service from a computer, tablet or smartphone and then download the channel from Roku's store onto their device.
Comcast is considering a nationwide streaming TV service
Comcast is laying the groundwork for a streaming TV service similar to DirecTV Now in markets it currently doesn't serve, including New York and LA, according to Bloomberg. It reportedly obtained nationwide TV channel rights from several unnamed cable networks using "most favored nation" clauses in its contracts. It hasn't got plans to offer anything yet, but is holding those rights as a card to play if online services like AT&T's DirecTV Now and Sling TV catch on.
AT&T gives new DirecTV Now subscribers a year of HBO
AT&T is determined to build early momentum for DirecTV Now, and it just found another way to sweeten the pot. The telecom has launched a promo that gives you a year of HBO access if you sign up for Now's "Go Big" or "Gotta Have It" packages as a new customer by March 30th. And that's in addition to an existing deal that gives you a free Apple TV if you pre-pay for 3 months of service in a similar timeframe. It's not the most tempting deal, but it might be enough to bring you over if you like HBO and want to save a bit of cash versus alternative services.
DirecTV Now's $35 special offer goes away January 9th
DirecTV launched its AT&T-backed online-only streaming service, DirecTV Now, last month with a special introductory $35 price for its 100+ channel option. But that "Go Big" offer is set to expire on January 9th, when it jumps to $60 to settle between the other three service tiers. If you want that many channels at that price, get it now.
T-Mobile giving AT&T customers a free year of DirecTV Now
T-Mobile is trying to counter AT&T by offering AT&T customers a year of its rival's own DirecTV Now streaming service if they switch to magenta. The offer has some flaws: You'll just get a $35 monthly credit, which represents the lowest tier of DirecTV now, for one. You'll also need to pay $120 per month (minimum) for two lines on the new T-Mobile One "unlimited" plan, which doesn't include LTE tethering or high-definition video.
DirecTV Now is a good start for AT&T but nothing truly original
If you've seen Sling TV or PlayStation Vue in action, AT&T's DirecTV Now streaming service won't offer many surprises. Like the competition, it'll let you stream live TV and on-demand content across a wide variety of devices -- all you need is an internet connection. But right now, on the day of DirecTV Now's launch, that's pretty much all it does. There's no cloud DVR functionality, which Vue has had for a while and Sling will soon start beta testing. And strangely, there's no support for Roku devices yet, which excludes a significant chunk of its potential audience.
LeEco's phones and TVs are coming to Amazon and Best Buy
LeEco is perhaps best known away from China for its electric cars (and the cash crunch they caused), but it's now making a big US push with its bread-and-butter electronics products. After launching its LeMall.com site earlier this month, it'll let US consumers buy its phones and TVs at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Target, starting on December 1st. To entice buyers, it's offering free trials for AT&T's DirecTV Now streaming service, launching tomorrow.
AT&T pushes Fullscreen, FreeVIEW service in DirecTV Now's wake
AT&T's internet TV plans don't stop with DirecTV Now, as it also highlighted two Go90-ish services during an event today. The already-available Fullscreen (previously mentioned as DirecTV Mobile) offers a $6 per month subscription video service intended to be social- and mobile-first (read: this is where some of those Vine stars went), and now AT&T mobile customers will be able to get a year of free access bundled with new or existing plans.
AT&T's DirecTV Now streaming service launches on November 30th
Add another streaming television offering to the fray. AT&T officially unveiled DirecTV Now today, its attempt to take on Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue. It was first revealed way back in March, but now we've got the fully skinny: It'll start at $35 with 60 channels and will launch on November 30th. As a promotion, early adopters will be able to lock in 100 channels for that price (that package will normally cost $60 a month). In comparison, Vue starts at $30 a month with around 45 channels, while Sling TV starts at $20 with fewer networks.
AT&T's DirecTV Now service will be unveiled on November 28th
It seems like DirecTV Now has been in the works forever. Announced back in March as a competitor to Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, it's an online streaming TV service that'll offer 100 channels for just $35 a month. After months of teasing details, AT&T just sent out invites for an event in New York City on November 28th, where we'll finally get the full skinny about the service. It's still unclear when, exactly, DirecTV Now will launch, but we'll be on the ground at the event to learn more.
AT&T's online-only DirecTV service will cost $35 a month
It's been just a few days since AT&T announced that it would be buying Time Warner for $85.4 billion. Now Time Warner CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson are on stage at WSJD Live to talk a little more about their plans going forward. In particular, Stephenson announced that AT&T is going to release a new OTT offering called DirecTV Now for $35 a month. It'll be an "all-in" service with 100 channels, and it's coming by the end of this November.
AT&T's internet-only DirecTV service launches in November
You don't have to sit on pins and needles wondering when AT&T will launch DirecTV Now, its flagship internet-only streaming service. As part of a discussion of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson has revealed that DirecTV Now will be ready in November. It might be a bargain, too -- Stephenson vows that it will carry a price "radically lower" than competing offerings. Just what that means isn't certain (which services and tiers are included in this comparison?), but it's promising.
DirecTV Now streaming rumored to supplant satellite by 2020
AT&T is planning to release a DirecTV-branded streaming video service later this year, but according to Bloomberg, it also expects for that to become its primary video platform soon. Earlier this week, its CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed the DirecTV Now launch is still on track for 2016, calling it an exclusively over the top product, with no truck roll, no set-top box or anything else. The report claims that at launch it will be limited to two simultaneous streams, with pricing similar to the $40 - $55 per month PlayStation Vue service.
AT&T signs up HBO for its DirecTV Now streaming service
Back in March AT&T announced plans for a trio of DirecTV-branded streaming services it will launch later this year, and now it's stocking the cupboard with content. Disney recently announced that its channels (including ESPN and ABC) would be a part of the subscription packages, and tonight AT&T announced it will offer HBO & Cinemax as well. The deal is part of a renewal of HBO's agreement for the DirecTV and U-verse services, which AT&T is calling historic because it is an "all-platform" deal covering both traditional and streaming options.
DirecTV streaming services won't require a satellite dish
AT&T isn't about to sit on its thumbs while Dish's Sling TV scoops up people eager to ditch conventional TV. It's introducing a trio of DirecTV streaming services in the fourth quarter of this year that won't require a satellite dish or existing AT&T services -- your phone, PC or media hub will be fine. The core service is DirecTV Now, which will offer "much" of DirecTV's regular live and on-demand content. If you're only interested in handheld video, DirecTV Mobile will offer a mix of "premium" videos and digital content on phones. And if you just want a peek, DirecTV Preview will give you a free, ad-supported slice of content from the networks and Otter Media, AT&T's online team-up with the Chernin Group.
