NBC Streaming with AT&T

NBC STREAMING VIDEO WITH AT&T

When AT&T bought DirecTV last year, it promised an aggressive move into internet video streaming. The telecom giant took a big step in fulfilling that pledge a few months ago. It announced last March that it would launch three streaming platforms under the DirecTV name in the fourth quarter of 2016. The new streaming services will be DirecTV Now, DirecTV Mobile, and DirecTV Preview.

An AT&T press release said that ‘Now’ will offer the most content, “including much of what its available on DirecTV. ‘Mobile’ geared for mobile devices, will be lower in price. ‘Preview’, supported by advertising, will be free to the viewer. The latter will offer limited channel options.

AT&T says it will reveal prices for DirecTV Now and DirecTV Preview at a later date.

AT&T ADDS CONTENT

Since March, AT&T has signed licensing contracts with several of the most important video content providers in America. The latest is NBC Universal. On September 13, AT&T announced that it had signed a multi-year agreement with the broadcaster.

Under terms of this last contract, NBC Universal channels will be available on all AT&T TV platforms, including AT&T U-Verse TV and all three of the DirecTV division’s internet video streaming services. The NBC broadcast channel, as well as NBCU’s cable channels, including SciFi, Bravo, USA, CNBC, and MSNBC, will be displayed on all U-Verse and DirecTV program guides.

NBC Universal is a subsidiary of Comcast.

With the contract, AT&T says, it has secured carriage rights to more than a hundred channels for DirecTV Now.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR DIRECTV STREAMING PLATFORMS

Unlike conventional cable and satellite TV, DirecTV streaming video services won’t require customers to sign long term contracts. Customers won’t need to schedule installation of equipment, since they won’t need dishes or cable boxes. Access to the services is through an app. The viewer will need only to log in a four-digit subscriber code.

DirecTV streaming services will be compatible with a wide variety of devices. They’re likely to include Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku devices, Mac and PC computers, and iOS and Android tablets and smart phones.

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