The popularity of streaming content is pretty evident as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu continue to grow but don’t think that hasn’t escaped the attention of cable providers. DirecTV Now is AT&T’s answer to consumers for streaming content, and they’re really hoping you don’t cut their cord. The new service is expected to launch later this year in the fourth quarter, and CEO Randall Stephenson claims the service will have “very aggressive” price points. What kind of content DirecTV Now is going to provide isn’t known yet but AT&T is confident the service will be competitive.
While Stephenson would not provide specific prices, he hinted that the company will be able to give consumers a break because of the low cost of delivering the service. AT&T won’t have to send trucks to install cables or set-top boxes; customers just need to download an apps. All of the ordering, customer service and billing is done digitally, reducing the need for typical tech support. “In 2017, this will be a big driver of video for us,” he said.
AT&T mentioned a potential streaming video service late last year and announced online video options in March. So what’s taking so long? The company is still working on content deals, having already struck agreements with the likes of Disney and HBO. Stephenson said he is about 90 percent done with the work to complete deals, with just a few holdouts left.
The number of streaming services continues to grow and cord cutting consumers are going to find it harder to cobble together the various offerings. Part of the issue with streaming is the content deals worked out by each company with content creators. Not everything you want is on one single streaming service so buying multiple subscriptions can get just as expensive as paying for cable. But if you can manage to limit yourself to one or two services and be happy with the content, streaming is really a great option.
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[button link=”https://www.cnet.com/news/at-ts-directv-now-streaming-video-service-will-launch-in-fourth-quarter/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: CNET[/button]Last Updated on January 23, 2017.
