New Deals With Major Networks
AT&T has successfully secured the rights of numerous networks for DirecTV’s upcoming online streaming platform. They have added major television networks such as HBO, Turner, NBCUniversal, and Disney over the last few months.
AT&T has been expanding their networks for their online streaming service by renewing their contracts with major companies. AT&T entered into a new partnership with Cinemax and HBO back in August, and later in September, they announced deals with Discovery Communications, Turner, and NBCUniversal.
The company earlier announced that they are going to launch three DirecTV streaming services by the end of this year. CEO Randall Stephenson stated that AT&T is planning to target the customers, who do not have pay TV subscriptions through their online streaming services.
In a recent earnings conference call, Bob Iger, said, that “AT&T DirecTV, the largest distributor in the country, will feature ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior in all subscription packages offered in its upcoming DirecTV Now OTT service.”
On their deal with Discovery, chief content officer for AT&T, Dan York said that, “By adding the Discovery networks to the growing DirecTV Now lineup, we are continuing to build a streaming service for the connected generation that we believe will be second-to-none in the industry.”
When asked about HBO deal, he said, “Our agreement with HBO is groundbreaking in the pay TV and wireless industries as well as the premium category. With this agreement, we have created easy access to subscribe and consume HBO’s premium content across all of our platforms.”
President of Turner, David Levy said that, “Turner’s goal as a consumer-first media company is to make our content available everywhere our audience is, and this expansive deal with AT&T helps deliver on that promise by having our leading portfolio of popular networks and premium programming available on more services and platforms than ever before.”
DirecTV Streaming Service
“We’re pleased to further our relationship with AT&T and look forward to providing our leading networks and programming to them as they launch additional consumer offerings to their expansive subscriber base,” he added.
President of global distribution for HBO, Simon Sutton, said that, “We are thrilled to extend and deepen our valued and long-standing relationship with AT&T by announcing this groundbreaking agreement.”
“The entertainment landscape has evolved, and we are excited to innovate on both AT&T’s traditional and new platforms to further provide premium quality, extraordinary value and accessibility to viewers anywhere.”
