AT&T has confirmed that it will soon launch a new streaming version of DirecTV to customers who may have cut the cord but still want to catch TV shows. It’ll likely compete directly with the likes of Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. It may try to woo customers with one of two free goodies.
Documents obtained by Variety suggest AT&T is willing to offer new customers either a free Apple TV or a Fire TV stick. You’ll need to sign up for at least three months of service for the free Apple TV. That might be a compelling offer, but keep in mind that Sling TV and PlayStation Vue have been able to attract customers who are tired of contracts. I recently canceled Sling TV to try PlayStation Vue, for example, and it was a breeze.
The Fire TV stick sounds like it’ll basically be free if you sign up for a month of service. Assuming there’s a free trial, this is a minimal commitment, especially considering DirecTV’s service is expected to start at just $35 per month.
AT&T streaming DirecTV channel lineups
Variety also grabbed some of the channels that DirecTV will offer, including Food Network, BET, Fox, MTV, MTV 2, TBS, TNT, Bravo, NBC, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network, Golf, NBC Sports Network, CBS, Nickelodeon, Hallmark, TV Land, truTV, Galavision, MundoFox, AXS TV and AUDIENCE Network. It’s unclear what sort of package that is, if it’s the starting package, part of a more expensive one or something else entirely.
Variety said AT&T plans to launch video on demand (VOD) as well, with more than 14,000 titles available for streaming.
The service is starting to sound more compelling by the day, particularly with a freebie included in a deal. Variety said it thinks the launch is “just around the corner” given the “level of detail” in the documents it obtained. AT&T has not said when the service will launch.
Source: Variety