AT&T's internet-only DirecTV service launches in November
The streaming TV tier should cost much less than rival options.
You don't have to sit on pins and needles wondering when AT&T will launch DirecTV Now, its flagship internet-only streaming service. As part of a discussion of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson has revealed that DirecTV Now will be ready in November. It might be a bargain, too -- Stephenson vows that it will carry a price "radically lower" than competing offerings. Just what that means isn't certain (which services and tiers are included in this comparison?), but it's promising.
The news takes on added meaning in light of the Time Warner buyout. AT&T already had HBO and Cinemax lined up for DirecTV Now, but the Time Warner deal would give the streaming service a virtually guaranteed source of popular TV without having to work hard for a license. It could theoretically keep the price low without depriving you of must-watch programming. That's assuming that regulators approve the deal in the first place, of course -- there's a concern that AT&T could punish rivals by either charging them more for Time Warner channels or denying some channels altogether.
