Last fall it was announced that DirecTV had plans to release their own Sling TV-like live streaming service. Now we are starting to learn some details of the service expected later this year or early 2017.

Confirmed Channels

It was confirmed recently that HBO, Cinemax, and Disney properties, including ESPN and Disney Channels, will be a part of the new streaming service.

“We are thrilled to extend and deepen our valued and long-standing relationship with AT&T by announcing this groundbreaking agreement, said Simon Sutton, president, HBO global distribution. This deal will deliver the best in TV programming to viewers across AT&T’s multiplatform experience. The entertainment landscape has evolved and we are excited to innovate on both AT&T’s traditional and new platforms to further provide premium quality, extraordinary value and accessibility to viewers anywhere.”

Ads

Recently the CEO of Disney talked about the new DirecTV Now streaming service in their quarterly call with investors.

There are [advertising] opportunities that … will be new to us on the OTT [over-the-top] platforms because some of the technology platforms will offer dynamic ad insertion. That has got some real potential for Disney, and that is a component of the DirecTV Now relationship.

What are dynamic ads?

Dynamic ads attempt to place relevant advertising to the person watching the content. No longer will everyone see the same ad but ads are tailored to the viewer’s history or other information, such as location, that the advertiser learns about the viewer.

Dynamic ads have been used for some time by Google and Hulu.

DirecTV Now Will Not Be “Skinny”…

Hoping for a small inexpensive plan? You may be disappointed, because AT&T seems to think large bundles are what is best.

“It is a rich bundle of content; it’s not a skinny bundle of content”, said John Stankey, CEO of AT&T Entertainment Group. “In fact, Stankey’s not a big fan of the skinny bundle at all. We think skinny bundles have a very small application in the market over time.”

Three Different Packages

The service will offer three packages called DirecTV Now, DirecTV Mobile, and DirecTV Preview. One package will offer an on-demand type service, one will be an online version of DirecTV, and the third is a mobile version.

When will DirecTV Now launch?

No official date has been set for the release of DirecTV Now. Rumors have gone back and forth depending on when and who you talk to but late 2016 or early 2017 is when the service should launch.

So for now that is everything we know, but with the service release rapidly approaching you should expect new details as the weeks and months go by.

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