AT&T Offers New Nationwide Service That Delivers TV On Any Device

AT&T is offering a new nationwide service—the first of its kind. They are combining wireless phone service and television with the biggest satellite-TV provider, DirecTV, becoming the country’s largest pay-TV company. The companies completed their $48.5 billion merger after receiving final regulatory approval last month.

The New York Times‘ article quotes a statement by Brad Bentley, AT&T’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the company’s entertainment and Internet services.

“Today is the first of many planned moves to enable our customers to enjoy a premium entertainment experience anywhere. We’re going to deliver more TV and entertainment choices to more screens — when and where our customers want it.”

Reuters reports that AT&T will offer their new bundle starting on August 10. The second largest U.S. wireless carrier will provide DVR and HD service for up to four TV receivers, with unlimited talk and text for four wireless lines, and 10GB of wireless data.

Immediately after signing up for the service, subscribers will be able to begin watching television programming via a DirecTV app on their computers, tablets and smartphones and won’t be required to wait for their television service to be installed.

AT&T says it will serve more than 55 million customers in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, making it the world’s largest pay-TV company.

According to the research firm SNL Kagan, the number of American households that pay for broadband service, but not television, increased 16 percent to 10.7 million in 2014, up from 9.2 million in 2012.

AT&T announced this new package about a week after the company closed its $48.5 billion takeover of satellite company DirecTV, forming the country’s largest television distributor, with about 26 million subscribers.

The merger between AT&T and DirecTV combines one of the country’s largest internet and telephone providers with the country’s largest satellite provider. It formed the creation of a next-generation entertainment provider that will offer services to millions of customers who are demanding on-the-go entertainment across an array of screens.

AT&T is increasing its efforts and investing more on the television business, even though more people are abandoning traditional satellite and cable service and moving more towards cheaper streaming alternatives. Additionally, television groups like Showtime, HBO, and CBS are introducing new stand-alone streaming offerings that do not require a traditional pay-TV subscription.

AT&T will bundle their first of a kind wireless phone service and television package for a cost of $200 a month for the first 12 months.

[Feature image via Toby Jorrin/Getty Images]