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'Let freedom stream': AT&T's lousy Black Friday deals roster linked to DirectTV Now's launch

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By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Nov 30, 2016, 9:09 AM

'Let freedom stream': AT&T's lousy Black Friday deals roster linked to DirectTV Now's launch

If you have been wondering why AT&T's Black Friday discounts paled in comparison with T-Mobile, Sprint, and even Verizon, Monday's zero-rated DirecTV streaming announcement might have given us a clue.

After all, AT&T's best Black Friday deals included phones like the Galaxy S6 or LG G5, unlike on other carriers where this year's iPhones and Galaxies could be had for free with a trade-in, or deeply discounted with gift cards, and there were plenty of line port deals, too. Granted, AT&T had a free iPhone 7 offer, but that, as usual lately, was only bundled with a DirecTV subscription.

This only comes to confirm where AT&T's focus is. The carrier has the healthiest average revenue per user numbers in the industry already, and is aiming to build a media company instead of simply being a dumb pipe for bits and bytes and voices.

Despite all the net neutrality controversy surrounding DirecTV Now, AT&T is pretty nonplussed about the matter, saying that it is beneficial for subscribers who don't want to count gigs and fret about their video usage on the go all the time. Well, if the AT&T-Time Warner buyout is approved, we don't even want to think about next year's holday deals on phones from the carrier, and hope that HBO Go won't then be zero-rated on AT&T only.

source: FierceWireless

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.