AT&T is expected to unveil the DirecTV Now streaming service on Nov. 28 and the carrier is pulling all the stops to ensure that the new product gets the strongest traction when it finally hits the market.
DirecTV Now Freebies
A slew of freebies have already been leaked and, if true, they could leverage DirecTV Now's mission to take down current industry leaders, which include Sony's PlayStation Vue and DISH Network's Sling TV.
Variety has reported that AT&T will be giving out free Apple TVs for subscribers who will sign up for a three-month contract. Even those who will opt for a one-month subscription are said to be entitled to an Amazon Fire TV stick.
Live Streaming Channels
To top it all, DirecTV Now is offering subscribers a bundle of more than 100 channels for a measly $35 a month. This subscription scheme soundly trounces programming bundles being peddled by the competition.
Sling TV offers a $20 monthly package but it comes with about 20 channels or so. PlayStation Vue is asking $40 but the number of channels in the bundle only hovers around 60.
The quality of DirecTV's streaming package is not too shabby either. It will stream Disney and Time Warner channels in addition to A&E Networks, Discovery, HBO, NBCUniversal, Scripps, Starz and Viacom, among others. A previous leak revealed that MTV, Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network will also be in the list. The expectation is that these channel offerings will vary according to locations.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that DirecTV Now will also have around 14,000 titles for its video on-demand service.
Live Content With On-Demand Media
With DirecTV Now, AT&T is betting its money on a hybrid model that marries on-demand entertainment with live TV streaming. This means that, in its pursuit of the cord-cutters, the service will be covering a wide swath of the consumer segment. It can target the Netflix subscribers and it will also go for the Live TV streaming crowd.
In addition, DirecTV Now will be able to position itself as the better product for its value propositions. When competing with Netflix, for example, it could argue that a subscription will not only have access to the platform's video streaming catalog but also its live content.
Careful not to put all eggs in one basket, AT&T is reportedly restraining itself from developing its own set-top box. DirecTV Now is configured to work in existing streaming devices like the Apple TV and the Amazon Fire stick.
