DirecTV Now tops 1 million subscribers

One year after launching its live streaming TV service, DirecTV Now has surpassed one million subscribers, the company confirmed Tuesday.

The milestone comes less than three months since parent company AT&T reported 787,000 subscribers in the third-quarter ending in September. The telecom giant has attracted many of its DirecTV Now subscribers with free promotions – such as the current promotion of a free 32GB Apple TV 4K set-top box with a four-month prepaid subscription – and deep discounts that bundled the streaming service with its wireless mobile phone plans.

Additionally, AT&T has been aggressive in adding local network affiliates in an attempt at mirroring much of the programming found on its consumer satellite service, DirecTV. At present, the service has 200-plus local network affiliates and growing (comparison chart viewable online from our friends at Streambuzz.net). DirecTV Now offers local channels in nearly 90 markets, delivering at least one local broadcast station in areas representing 80 percent of U.S. TV households.

In a statement, the Dallas-based telecommunications provider also confirmed various new features coming to the service in 2018, including a cloud DVR service, more concurrent streams, individual profiles, more than 35,000 titles on demand, and 4K and high-definition quality video.

AT&T has also hinted to various subscribers at a new feature, ‘Download-and-Go’, previously unannounced. Speculation among industry experts is that the feature will allow certain programming to be saved on the services cloud DVR and viewed remotely on mobile devices.

DirecTV NOW launched in November of 2016 using the Apple TV app. The service offers such packages as Live a Little for $35 per month with 60-plus channels, Just Right for $50 a month for 80-plus channels, Go Big for $60 for 100-plus channels and Gotta Have It for $70 per month for 120-plus channels. During an introductory period, users could sign up for 100-plus channels for $35 a month.