AT&T Promises “Rules-Free TV” with DIRECTV NOW

NEW YORK: AT&T has unveiled official details for its DIRECTV NOW streaming service, targeted at the more than 20 million U.S. households that have “dropped cable or are flirting with cutting the cord.”

“We’re extending our entertainment portfolio for those who value premium content but also want more TV freedom suited for their lifestyle, whether watching at home or on their mobile devices. This is TV your way,” said John Stankey, CEO of AT&T Entertainment Group. “Our new customer-centric offers show that mobility and entertainment are better together.”

DIRECTV NOW will go live on November 30, delivering live sports, on-demand, premium channels, popular shows and hit movies to tablets, smartphones or TVs. AT&T is making a limited-time offer for a “Go Big” package with more than 100 channels for just $35 per month. HBO and Cinemax can be added for $5 each month.

AT&T also announced a new destination for Taylor Swift content, Taylor Swift NOW. The video service will showcase videos, concert performances, behind-the-scenes footage and more from the musician’s archives. AT&T is making Taylor Swift NOW available across all of its video platforms later this year: DIRECTV, DIRECTV NOW and U-verse.

“Taylor Swift NOW is one of many exciting initiatives we have in store for Taylor’s fans and our customers as part of our exclusive multi-year deal,” said Stankey. “We’re looking forward to working with Taylor as we develop exclusive original content that inspires her and her fans. We can’t wait to get Taylor Swift NOW into the hands of fans to stream everywhere.”

AT&T and Reese Witherspoon also plan to create a new entertainment destination featuring exclusive content especially for fans of female-driven stories. Hello Sunshine is Witherspoon and Otter Media’s cross-platform brand and content company. It will launch a VOD channel in 2017 that will only be available for customers of DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW. The new brand will also develop a series featuring Witherspoon that will debut exclusively on the VOD channel. The Hello Sunshine VOD content offering will focus on positivity, humor and inspiration for women. Witherspoon and the Hello Sunshine team will also curate a selection of acquired programming, including movies, TV series, short-form and made-for-digital content.

“As we continue the journey of creating engaging entertainment for and about women at Hello Sunshine, it’s exciting to have a partner in AT&T who shares that commitment with us. We can’t wait to bring the Hello Sunshine channel to life with DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW customers in 2017,” said Witherspoon.

Stankey added, “We are committed to giving strong, creative voices a platform to reach millions of viewers through unique distribution channels. Reese is a champion of women in entertainment. We look forward to bringing her distinctive brand of content to our customers.”