Subscription starts at $35 per month, and subscribers are set to be thrilled with loads of offerings including Dish’s Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue, and upcoming services from Hulu and YouTube, reports The Verge.
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“I think it is disruptive, both on price and programming”, said Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics. And, according to multiple reports after the press event, subscribers will also not be able to stream National League Football games with DirecTV Now. Instead, DirecTV Now is launching to Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick; Android mobile devices and tablets; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV; Google Cast-enabled LeEco Eco TVs and Vizio SmartCast displays; and through Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari web browsers. If you are an AT&T subscriber, streaming from the service will not eat into the wireless data plans, which has attracted the attention of FCC. DirecTV Now will get cloud DVR in 2017, said John Stankey, AT&T’s CEO of the Entertainment Group.
DirecTV Now will include content from networks such as Walt Disney Co and Twenty-First Century Fox.
Most of the details about DirecTV Now have been reported, including the price of $35 per month, a lineup of more than 100 channels, and the ability to add on premium networks like HBO and Starz. The company has secured agreements with all major programmers except for CBS and Showtime, which are still negotiating terms of carriage.
Football fans may also be disappointed.
Cord cutters, rejoice: AT&T’s highly-anticipated TV streaming service will launch Wednesday.
The service is an extremely bold move considering that most large television companies have been pushing back against the streaming trend in an attempt to keep their current customers corded, but AT&T has brought out the big scissors.
DirecTV Now compares well with competing streaming services on quantity and price.
Last month, AT&T agreed to acquire Time Warner, which owns cable channels including CNN, HBO and TNT, for $85.4 billion in the biggest media deal in 16 years.
This might be an early deal-breaker for some: AT&T isn’t supporting Roku or Android TV at launch, two platforms where PS Vue and Sling TV are already available. The service also doesn’t include a DVR function, but the feature is expected to be added next year. Staying true to its word, AT&T has now officially announced that DirecTV Now will go live on November 30. New customers can get an Apple TV device with a three-month prepaid subscription. In addition, Lenovo will be offering one month of free service with the purchase of a new Intel Core series Lenovo laptop.
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Taylor Swift NOW is AT&T’s first specially curated video catalogue and will feature exclusive videos, concert performances and behind-the-scenes footage.
