AT&T to Release Affordable ‘DirecTV Now’ Video Streaming Service

Sometime later this year, AT&T will release an online video streaming service called DirecTV Now. According to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, the service will feature “very, very aggressive price points” and sport more than 100 channels and an app compatible with mobile, set-top boxes, tablets, and other Internet-connected devices.

DirecTV Now is aimed at so-called “cord-cutters,” the growing ranks of consumers who eschew traditional subscription TV service. One major problem that cord-cutters encounter is trying to cobble together a large enough collection of streaming video (via services like Netflix, HBO Go, and Hulu) as a suitable replacement for cable, according to CNET.

Part of what AT&T is doing to make its service more attractive is lowering prices, which is a tried and true way of getting customers. The fact that installation is cheap helps in this regard. All customers need to do to get the service is download the app and they’re all set with digital customer service, billing, and ordering. There is no cable guy, truck, or set-top box involved. Customers will also have the choice of selecting one or two streams per household, with the option to pay more for increased simultaneous streaming.

When asked whether DirecTV Now would cannibalize some business from its traditional DirecTV service, Stephenson acknowledged this was a possibility. “But that’s a good sign,” he said. “It means you have found something the market really wants.”

As of now, AT&T has its sights set on the 20 million households in America currently without a pay-TV subscription.