Ah, those elusive cord-nevers. What’s a video service provider to do to entice them to pay for something they don’t think they really want anyway? And where do you actually find them in order to hawk your video wares in the first place?
AT&T seems to be visibly targeting the -nevers (and the cord-cutters too) by announcing that it plans to launch a variety of DirecTV streaming video services beginning in the fourth quarter of this year. Bring your own wired or wireless Internet connection from any provider, toss in a smartphone, tablet, smart TV, streaming media hardware or PC, and you’d be just about good to go, according to a press release.
Exact pricing wasn’t revealed, so it remains to be seen how attractive the options will ultimately be to the uber budget-conscious variety of consumer. But AT&T is clearly chanting the mantra of “more content, more flexibility, no set-top, less money.”
“We often hear from customers who want more content from streaming services, or who can’t get or can’t afford a traditional pay TV service,” John Stankey, CEO at AT&T Entertainment Group, says. “We intend to offer customers a quality pay TV experience, including top channels, sports and more, with increased value and flexibility of pure online streaming and no need for home installation.”
The three options will include:
DirecTV Now: “The company plans to offer a range of content packages, including much of what is available from DirecTV today — on-demand and live programming from many networks, plus premium add-on options. Consumers can simply sign up for the service, download the app and begin watching,” AT&T reports.
DirecTV Mobile: This will reportedly deliver a mobile-first user experience for customers who want video and made-for-digital content directly on a smartphone, regardless of the wireless provider. Again, AT&T underlines that consumers can start watching video immediately after the same sign up and app-download process.
DirecTV Preview: This is the company’s free option. ”The tailored ad-supported service will showcase content from AT&T’s Audience Network, many networks and other content sources, and Millennial-focused video from Otter Media, a joint venture of AT&T and the Chernin Group,” the company reports.
