AT&T DirecTV Now streamer: pricing, channels, devices
AT&T DirecTV is launching today with a great introductory pricing
Today, AT&T is launching its zero-rated DirecTV Now streamer, aimed at cord-cutters everywhere, for the extremely enticing $35/month introductory offer, which includes more than 120 popular channels to choose from. You can also add HBO and Cinemax for a fee, and there is a free trial offer on the cards. Given the pending AT&T buyout of Time Warner, you might even get lucky to watch zero-rated Westworld seasons further down the road, too.
Moreover, the AT&T Entertainment director Brad Bentley is already on record claiming that the carrier may offer "double-play" deals in the future, combining wireless data and voice plans with mobile TV streaming, so expect the DirecTV Now streamer to become even more alluring at some point in the future. Here's what you need to know about AT&T's disrupter of a streamer before you pull the trigger.
Prices
Devices
Channels
| Channel | DirecTV Now | Sling TV | PlayStation Vue |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| ABC | Yes or VOD | Broadcast extra | Yes or VOD |
| AMC | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| American Heroes | Go Big | No | Elite |
| Animal Planet | Live a Little | No | Access |
| Audience | Live a Little | No | No |
| AXS TV | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| Baby TV | No | Kids extra | No |
| BBC America | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| BBC World News | Go Big | News extra | Elite |
| beIN Sports | No | Sports extra | Core |
| BET | Live a Little | Blue (Orange lifestyle extra) | No |
| Bloomberg TV | Live a Little | Base | No |
| Boomerang | Gotta Have It | Kids extra | Elite |
| Bravo | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| BTN | Just Right | No | Core |
| Campus Insiders | No | Sports extra | No |
| Cartoon Network/Adult Swim | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| CBS | No | No | Yes or VOD |
| CBS Sports | No | No | No |
| Centric | Go Big | No | No |
| Cheddar | No | Orange, Blue | No |
| Chiller | Gotta Have It | No | Elite |
| Cinemax | PREMIUM ($5/month) | PREMIUM | No |
| Cloo | Gotta Have It | No | Elite |
| CMT | Live a Little | Comedy extra | No |
| CNBC | Live a Little | News extra Blue | Access |
| CNBC World | Just Right | No | Elite |
| CNN | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| Comedy Central | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| Comedy.TV | Just Right | No | No |
| Cooking Channel | Just Right | Lifestyle extra | Elite |
| CSPAN | Live a Little | No | No |
| Destination America | Go Big | No | Access |
| Discovery Channel | Live a Little | No | Access |
| Discovery Family | Go Big | No | Access |
| Discovery Life | Go Big | No | Elite |
| Disney Channel | Live a Little | Orange | Access |
| Disney Junior | Live a Little | Kids extra Orange | Access |
| Disney XD | Live a Little | Kids extra Orange | Access |
| DIY | Go Big | Lifestyle extra | Access |
| Duck TV | No | Kids extra | No |
| E! | Live a Little | Lifestyle extra Blue | Access |
| El Rey Network | Gotta Have It | Orange, Blue | No |
| Encore | Gotta Have It | No | No |
| EPIX | No | Hollywood extra | No |
| EPIX Drive-in | No | Hollywood extra | No |
| EPIX Hits | No | Hollywood extra | PREMIUM, Elite |
| EPIX2 | No | Hollywood extra | No |
| ESPN | Live a Little | Orange | Access |
| ESPN 2 | Live a Little | Orange | Access |
| ESPN Bases Loaded | No | Sports extra Orange | No |
| ESPN Buzzer Beater | No | Sports extra Orange | No |
| ESPN Deportes | No | Spanish TV extra Orange | Elite |
| ESPN Goal Line | No | Sports extra Orange | No |
| ESPNEWS | Just Right | Sports extra Orange | Core |
| ESPNU | Just Right | Sports extra Orange | Core |
| Esquire | No | No | Access |
| Euro News | No | World News Extra | No |
| Flama | No | Orange, Blue | No |
| Food Network | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| Fox | Yes or VOD | Blue | Yes or VOD |
| Fox Business | Live a Little | No | Access |
| Fox College Sports Atlantic | No | No | Elite |
| Fox College Sports Central | No | No | Elite |
| Fox College Sports Pacific | No | No | Elite |
| Fox News | Live a Little | No | Access |
| Fox Sports 1 | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| Fox Sports 2 | Go Big | Blue | Access |
| Fox Sports Prime Ticket | Just Right | No | No |
| France 24 | No | World News Extra | No |
| Freeform | Live a Little | Orange | Access |
| Fuse | Just Right | No | No |
| Fusion | Just Right | World News Extra | Elite |
| FX | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| FXM | Go Big | No | Elite |
| FXX | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| FYI | Go Big | Lifestyle extra | No |
| Galavision | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| Golf Channel | Go Big | Sports extra Blue | Core |
| GSN | Just Right | Comedy extra | No |
| Hallmark | Live a Little | Lifestyle extra | No |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | No | LIfestyle extra | No |
| HBO | PREMIUM ($5/month) | PREMIUM | PREMIUM, Ultra |
| HDNet Movies | No | Hollywood extra | No |
| HGTV | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| Hi-Yah | No | No | Elite |
| History | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| HLN | Live a Little | News extra | Access |
| HSN | No | No | No |
| IFC | Just Right | Orange, Blue | Core |
| Ion | No | No | No |
| Impact | No | No | Elite |
| Investigation Discovery | Live a Little | No | Access |
| JusticeCentral.TV | Just Right | No | No |
| Lifetime | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| LMN | Just Right | Lifestyle extra | No |
| Local Now | No | Orange, Blue | No |
| LOGO | Go Big | Comedy extra | No |
| Longhorn Network | Just Right | No | No |
| Machinima | No | No | Elite |
| Maker | No | Orange, Blue | No |
| MGM-HD | No | No | Elite |
| MLB Network | Just Right | No | No |
| Motors TV | No | Sports extra | No |
| MSNBC | Live a Little | News extra Blue | Access |
| MTV | Live a Little | Comedy extra | No |
| MTV Classic | Go Big | No | No |
| MTV2 | Live a Little | Comedy extra | No |
| Nat Geo Wild | Go Big | Blue | Elite |
| National Geographic | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| NBA TV | Go Big | Sports extra | Core |
| NBC | Yes or VOD | Blue | Yes or VOD |
| NBC Sports Network | Just Right | Blue | Access |
| NDTV 24/7 | No | World News Extra | No |
| News 18 India | No | World News Extra | No |
| Newsy | No | Orange, Blue | No |
| NFL Network | No | Blue | Core |
| NFL Red Zone | No | Sports extra (Blue) | PREMIUM (Core and up) |
| NHL Network | Go Big | Sports extra | No |
| Nick Jr. | Live a Little | Blue | No |
| Nickelodeon | Live a Little | No | No |
| Nicktoons | Live a Little | Kids Extra Blue | No |
| ONE World Sports | No | No | Elite |
| Outdoor Channel | No | No | No |
| Outside Television | No | Sports extra | Elite |
| OWN | Just Right | No | Access |
| Oxygen | Just Right | Lifestyle extra Blue | Access |
| Palladia | No | No | Elite |
| PBS | No | No | No |
| Poker Central | No | No | Elite |
| Polaris | No | Orange, Blue | Elite |
| POP | No | No | Access |
| QVC | No | No | No |
| Revolt | Go Big | No | No |
| RFD TV | Live a Little | No | No |
| Russia Today | No | World News Extra | No |
| Science | Just Right | No | Access |
| SEC Network | Just Right | Sports extra Orange | Core |
| Showtime | No | No | PREMIUM, Elite |
| Spike | Live a Little | Comedy extra | No |
| Sprout | Go Big | No | Elite |
| Starz | Gotta Have It | PREMIUM | No |
| Sundance TV | Go Big | Hollywood extra | Core |
| Syfy | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| TBS | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| TCM | Live a Little | Hollywood extra | Core |
| Teen Knick | Live a Little | Kids extra Blue | Elite |
| Telemundo | Live a Little | No | No |
| Tennis Channel | Go Big | No | No |
| The Weather Channel | Live a Little | No | No |
| TLC | Live a Little | No | Access |
| TNT | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | Access |
| Travel Channel | Just Right | Orange, Blue | Access |
| truTV | Live a Little | Blue (Orange comedy extra) | Access |
| TV Land | Live a Little | Comedy extra | No |
| TVG | Go Big | No | No |
| Universal HD | No | No | Elite |
| Univision | Live a Little | Blue (Orange Broadcast extra) | No |
| Univision Deportes | Gotta Have It | Sports extra | No |
| Univision Mas | Just Right | Blue (Orange Broadcast Extra) | No |
| USA Network | Live a Little | Blue | Access |
| Velocity HD | Live a Little | No | Elite |
| VH1 | Live a Little | Lifestyle extra | No |
| VH1 Classic | No | No | Elite |
| Vibrant TV | No | Lifestyle extra | No |
| Viceland | Live a Little | Orange, Blue | No |
| WE tv | Live a Little | Lifestyle extra | Access |
| WeatherNation | Live a Little | No | No |
Channel listings comparison courtesy of CNET
Despite the great limited time offer of $35/month, there are some caveats, like the lack of CBS, although AT&T is promising that it will work with CBS execs to fold it in, and will add more features to the streamer further down the road.
If you live in an area where broadcast channels like NBC or Fox have stations, you will be able to watch those live, but in many places where these are run on affiliates, you will only be able to watch on-demand content after it's aired. Last but not least, DirecTV Now can't be used on more than two devices at once, be it your TVs, phones, tablets, laptops, or any mix of those.
With those restrictions aside, it is a pretty good solution for light TV users that don't want to break the bank with a cable subscription contract, plus you can always have your favorite channels on the go, accessing them through the Now app, or through your DirecTV credentials on apps like ABC, WatchESPN, or HBO Go, with more to be added in the future. Any takers?
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