AT&T merges AT&T TV and TV Now streaming services. This is what it means

AT&T TV now, the streaming service of the telecommunications and media giant, is disappearing. On Tuesday, AT&T announced that it would “merge” TV Now with AT&T TV, its cable and satellite alternative that also broadcasts live TV over the Internet, but previously required at least one of AT&T’s dedicated streaming boxes.

As part of the merger, AT&T is also removing the requirement that AT&T TV customers use at least one of its streaming boxes, called AT&T TV Stream, and also getting rid of AT & T’s binding contract. & T TV.

From now on, AT&T TV will be month-to-month, just like AT&T TV Now. AT&T says current contracts will remain in effect, but once they expire, customers can switch to a monthly payment option. If you’re on an AT&T TV trial, you can switch to a no-contract plan without paying an early termination fee.

AT&T TV’s contract-less plans start at $ 70 per month for a basic entertainment package that includes ESPN, CNN, and FX, plus local broadcast channels and 20 hours of cloud DVRs. An additional $ 10 per month increases the storage of the DVR to 500 hours per month. Regional sports are included from the Choice package, which costs $ 85 per month without a contract and includes one year of HBO Max and NBA League Pass Premium.

Those who aren’t afraid of commitment can still sign up for a two-year contract, which cuts the price of the first year of the Entertainment package to $ 60 per month in the first year, before jumping to $ 93 per month. the second. Choice users would see the price drop from $ 85 per month to $ 65 per month for the first year of the two-year contract, but the second year would push the price up to $ 110 per month. Those with Choice on a two-year contract would also be on the hook to pay an additional $ 8.49 per month “regional sports fee” for two years.

Both packages, however, include 500 hours of DVR as part of the two-year commitment.

As for devices, if you don’t want to use the company’s Android TV streaming box (aptly called AT&T TV Device), you can stream AT&T TV to a multitude of devices. This includes ios and Android phones and tablets, as well as TV broadcasters such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, and Samsung smart TVs (2017 or later).

“We’re bringing more value and simplicity by merging these two streaming services into one AT&T TV experience,” said Vince Torres, senior vice president of marketing for AT&T, in a statement.

First introduced in November 2016 as DirecTV Now, AT&T TV Now was the carrier’s first streaming television service. The company has grown to offer a a few different streaming options over the years, including a cheaper (now discontinued) AT&T Watch TV which largely consisted of the Turner channels it owned and AT&T TV, the current replacement for cable and satellite. It also featured HBO Max, its rival Netflix and Disney Plus, last year.

Although the company is no longer adding new subscribers to AT&T TV Now, a spokesperson for the company said existing users will still be able to use the service and “will not experience any disruption as part of this change,” adding that pricing “is not changing at this time.”