Over the weekend, AT&T launched its new streaming service called AT&T TV, which will compete with YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Hulu. Unlike services already on the market, AT&T TV is as much a streaming service as it is the name of the Android TV equipment that AT&T sells you with every subscription. The service allows you to stream more than 170 TV channels with 40,000 on-demand titles and 500 hours of DVR storage space, making it probably the most robust live TV streaming service on the market. The Internet streaming service is now available in the United States for non-AT&T and AT&T subscribers, in three tiers:
- A basic entertainment plan that includes 70 local and cable channels.
- AT&T TV Choice that records additional sports channels for an additional charge
- the AT&T TV Xtra package offering over 170 channels and the most popular TV shows and movies.
So what is the problem? According to Variety, the first year of service will be greatly reduced with a steep price increase after the first year... unless you commit to a two-year contract up front. To put this in context, the introductory level entertainment plan markets at €49.99 per month for the first year, then drops to €93 per month after the promotion expires. The Xtra plan, which starts at just €64.99, increases to €124.99 per month, plus "regional sports fees" of up to an additional €8.49 per month.
AT&T TV price: cheap tip or temporary stay?
While it competes with other AT&T services like DirecTV Now and the upcoming HBO Max, AT&T TV will be the company's flagship service, a service you can expect to see heavily hyped now. (According to Variety, the service won't directly replace DirecTV Now, AT&T's previous streaming effort, but the latter won't see much screen time.) The good news is that you can stay with DirecTV Now: the initial cost is more expensive, but there is no price increase after the first year like with AT&T TV. How you view AT&T TV as a viable alternative to cable will depend on whether you view its introductory price as relief from your expensive cable bill or simply the oil used to lure the fly into the trap. Somehow, the low initial cost and the provided hardware - capable of acting as a 4K streaming stick for Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, Spotify and Pandora, as well as the built-in Google Assistant - make it a decent deal. , this deal is not so good at € 135 per month for the Xtra package in its second year or, if you need a second box that costs € 120 ... in fact, that's not all. It is probably more expensive than traditional cable. Prize.