DirecTV Now Is Trying to Reel In New Customers With a Roku Premiere

Users get the $70 streaming box if they prepay for two months of the service

DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now

DirecTV Now, AT&T’s live TV streaming service, is giving new customers who prepay for two months of service a Roku Premiere set-top box, the company announced Thursday.

Late last month, the streaming service launched on Roku devices — one of the few remaining platforms it did not support. And as DirecTV Now looks to bolster its market position as internet TV competitors including Google’s YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV have launched since AT&T’s service hit the market, the company is hoping to bring on new customers with Roku’s popular streaming box.

When DirecTV Now launched in November, it gave out an Amazon Fire TV Stick to customers who prepaid for one month, and an Apple TV to those who paid for three in advance. Those offers — along with AT&T’s introductory $35/month pricing for DirecTV Now’s 100-channel “Go Big” package — are no longer in play. “Go Big” is currently priced at $60 per month, while DirecTV Now’s smallest offering, “Live a Little,” offers more than 60 channels for a $35 monthly charge. AT&T also leveraged its wireless subscribers, offering an “Unlimited Plus” plan that gave customers a $25 monthly credit for bundling their phone service with DirecTV or DirecTV Now.

Those early promotions — and an onslaught of marketing — helped DirecTV Now add 200,000 subscribers in December, although growth has tailed off in the wake of some early technical issues, the end of the introductory pricing, and a deliberate pullback in marketing, which AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said on the company’s most recent earnings call was intended “to give the platform time to mature and improve.” But now, with Roku support, AT&T is going on the offensive again.

“Consumers want premium live TV with even more choice and flexibility, which DirecTV Now provides,” Brad Bentley, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, AT&T Entertainment Group, said in a statement. “But those looking to cut the cable cord may not always know the best place to start. We’re making it easy by eliminating up-front cost and providing a cost effective solution to stream the content they crave from their living room couches.”

“DirecTV Now and a Roku Premiere are an extremely compelling combination for customers,” Steve Shannon, Roku’s general manager, content and services, said in the statement. “We’ve always concentrated on delivering the best streaming experience focused on convenience and choice. This all-in-one package accomplishes just that.”

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