AT&T is currently sending out press invites for an event in New York City on November 28th where they will be making DIRECTV Now official. There’s been plenty of rumors about the launch, and now AT&T is ready to launch the service. This service is set to compete with the likes of Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. Whereas you’ll be able to watch TV over an Internet connection, and won’t need a cable box. The rumor mill states that AT&T will be offering about 100 channels for just $35/month. Which is priced competitively with Sling TV, but will likely have far more channels than Sling TV, and likely different channels as well.
AT&T already has deals in place with Disney, NBCUniversal, Viacom, Scripps, Discovery, HBO, Starz, A&E Networks and they are reported to have an on-demand library of over 14,000 titles. Giving them a pretty good mix of content for their users. AT&T has not yet released what channels will be part of DIRECTV Now, but we should know more on the 28th. There has been rumors about a cloud DVR feature for DIRECTV Now, plus the ability to pause live TV. AT&T is also looking to rope customers in by offering up a free Apple TV for customers that sign up for three months of DIRECTV Now and for those that sign up for a month will get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick. Which likely means that DIRECTV Now will be compatible with both of these platforms, and likely others as well. Where DIRECTV Now is expected to have a very small profit margin, it makes sense that AT&T is doing everything it can to bring in as many customers as possible.
DIRECTV Now is a product that AT&T has been developing for some time and will likely be targeting “cordcutters” with it. With many customers opting to no longer need or have a cable box in their home, and opting to watch all of their content online, this is a way for AT&T to get those customers back. It does already have plenty of competition, but so far it appears to be the best value, as it is similarly priced to PlayStation Vue and Sling TV, but offers far more channels.