AT&T Launching New Streaming Version of DirecTV AT&T has confirmed that the company is planning yet another streaming video service for launch later this year. This service should provide a streaming equivalent of the company's existing Satellite TV service, and will be notably more robust than the company's streamlined DirecTV Now service. Speaking at the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit, AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan told attendees that this new service should launch before the end of the year, and AT&T intends to have five different streaming services in total operating by 2019.

This DirecTV service has been hinted at previously and will require an entirely new, AT&T-provided streaming box. "We won’t roll a truck," Donovan told attendees. "The CPE (consumer premises equipment) will be cheaper, it will be a thinner, lighter version and we will have lower operating costs. We anticipate passing a lot of those cost savings." “It will extend our footprint,” Donovan added. "It will not only have a lower price point, but it will have margins that are similar and therefore better returns because there will be less upfront costs." AT&T is desperately trying to get out ahead of the cord cutting phenomenon before these departing users all flee to competing services. Unlike many traditional pay TV operators, AT&T is at least trying to get out ahead of the curve by attempting to give frustrated users what they want: namely lower prices with more channel lineup flexibility. In addition to DirecTV Now and this new broader DirecTV service, AT&T is also planning to launch a sports-free skinny bundle of channels dubbed AT&T Watch. AT&T Watch will be given away free to the company's wireless customers, but will cost $15 per month otherwise. Granted this being AT&T, and given the company just got done gutting net neutrality, you can assume there will be more than a few new caveats embedded in these new offerings intended to give the company a leg up over its competitors. Granted this being AT&T, and given the company just got done gutting net neutrality, you can assume there will be more than a few new caveats embedded in these new offerings intended to give the company a leg up over its competitors.







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Most recommended from 44 comments



trparky

CYA! I'm gone!

Premium Member

join:2000-05-24

Cleveland, OH 8 recommendations trparky Premium Member It would be interesting... It would be interesting if you can bundle this with your AT&T home Internet.

Packeteers

Premium Member

join:2005-06-18

Forest Hills, NY 6 recommendations Packeteers Premium Member a silly evolution att's analog cabletv box

cut the cord to;

anyone else's streaming box

give that up for;

att's digital cabletv box



are consumers really that gullible? en103

join:2011-05-02 5 recommendations en103 Member What.. !? So - will this 'replace' DirecTV Now or be in addition ?

AT&T is changing it's TV offerings too often, making it difficult to keep up.



- UVerse TV

- DirecTV

- DirecTV Now

- DirecTV later ?

timothyhohar

join:2004-03-20

Apex, NC 3 recommendations timothyhohar Member Hopefully this can be the back end of a IP Based solution for rain fade... ...because I'm getting sick of listening to my wife complain every time he get a thunderstorm and the DTV goes out.

tc1uscg

join:2005-03-09

Guantanamo 2 recommendations tc1uscg Member Let the wining begin "AT&T Watch will be given away free to the company's wireless customers, but will cost $15 per month otherwise"



Sounds like a reasonable deal. It appears the ONLY low cost option for cable co's to compete against the likes of Philo, Hulu, etc (didn't include netflix since they don't offer anything of CHANNEL value), is to come up with a streaming package of their own. They can also give you a "competitors" deal where if you have thier broadband, you get a better deal. If not, well, you pay more. But, i'm sure the same people who complained about Broad Band Only customers not getting a speed bump will find a way to cry about this too. Sounds like a reasonable deal. It appears the ONLY low cost option for cable co's to compete against the likes of Philo, Hulu, etc (didn't include netflix since they don't offer anything of CHANNEL value), is to come up with a streaming package of their own. They can also give you a "competitors" deal where if you have thier broadband, you get a better deal. If not, well, you pay more. But, i'm sure the same people who complained about Broad Band Only customers not getting a speed bump will find a way to cry about this too.