AT&T launched over-the-top streaming TV service DirecTV Now in November 2016. The nation's second-largest wireless carrier was able to attract more than 200,000 customers in the first month alone and has since pushed the total number of subscribers over the one million mark.
AT&T announced the milestone on Tuesday alongside a bevy of new features scheduled for arrival next year including 4K video, a cloud-based DVR, individual profiles, support for additional concurrent streams and more on-demand titles. AT&T also announced an offline mode, called "download and go," earlier this year but neglected to mention it in today's press release.
DirecTV Now got off to a rocky start but AT&T used promotional pricing and freebies to attract new users. Those that pre-paid for one month of service were given a free Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote while customers that signed up for a three-month commitment were gifted an Apple TV with Siri Remote.
Whether or not AT&T will be able to sustain its current level of new customer additions in a market that now includes several competitors such as YouTube TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and Hulu's live TV service remains to be seen.
For comparison, as of the third quarter, YouTube TV had around 325,000 subscribers, Sling TV around 1.7 million, PlayStation Vue had 455,000 and Hulu's service had about 150,000 members according to Variety.
DirecTV Now service plans start at $35 per month for 60+ channels and tops out at $70 a month for 120+ channels. Premium networks like HBO and Cinemax can be added for an additional $5 each per month.
Lead image via TechCrunch