AT&T today announced the nationwide launch of its new AT&T TV streaming service. While the new service offers the same selection of live TV channels as AT&T’s DirecTV service, they will stream over the internet instead of requiring a satellite dish.
The AT&T TV box runs Android TV and lets users store up to 500 hours of TV shows and movies on the cloud. It is bundled with a voice remote that has a dedicated Google Assistant button. Since the box comes with the Google Play Store, you can access content from over 5,000 apps – including Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora. Sadly, however, the box doesn’t come with the Prime Video and Hulu apps.
AT&T TV packages start at $50 per month with a two-year contract. However, after the first year of service, the price of the base package goes up drastically from $50 to $93. If you opt for the most expensive Ultimate package, you will have to shell out $135 each month, instead of $70 in the first year. In case you decide to cancel the service before the expiry of your service agreement, you will need to pay $15 as early termination fees.
The Android TV set-top-box comes free of cost with a contract, although you will have to pay $120 up front if you want another one. In addition to streaming on your TV with the box, you can also stream on the go with the AT&T TV app. Setting up AT&T TV at home is also an easy affair. All you need to do is plug in the box and start streaming after a simple setup process.
The reason why AT&T is launching a new cord-cutting service is the massive decline in viewing figures for its other existing services. In 2019, a total of 5.5 million pay-TV customers in the U.S. cut the cord – with the vast majority of them being DirecTV customers. The hassle-free installation for AT&T TV also means the company will not have to bear additional customer acquisition costs. However, I am not too optimistic about the success of the new service, mainly due to its high pricing.
