Earlier this year AT&T announced plans to launch a DirecTV-powered streaming video service thet would be accessible on nearly any device. Although details remain scarce, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said at an investor conference today that the upcoming streaming service will launch before the end of the year with "very, very aggressive price points.”
While he wouldn’t say anything specific regarding prices, Stephenson noted that the company can make a compelling offering because of the cost structure of delivering a service like this, with no set top boxes, customer visits and installation.
Also, if you are on an AT&T plan, any data used while streaming DirecT content won’t count towards your allowance, it will be “incorporated into the price of the content.”
Dubbed DirecTV Now, the over-the-top service will reportedly feature over 100 premium channels, though the company is still wrapping up content deals. Both Disney and HBO are already onboard. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson says that the company is about “90% there” on securing the programming deals it wants, but a few "holdouts" still remain.
Stephenson acknowledges that DirecTV Now might cannibalize some of the company’s higher priced services, but sees that as a good sign. It means you have found something the market really wants.” It remains to be seen how low the company is willing to go to lure some of those 20 million households in the US that don't have cable.
Currently, a subscription to HBO Now runs for $14.99 a month while Sling TV gives you a bundle of live channels for $20 a month with themed bundles costing extra. Meanwhile, Netflix which is by far the most popular streaming service costs between $8 and $12 a month.
https://www.techspot.com/news/66405-att-standalone-directv-streaming-service-launch-before-end.html
