AT&T TV’s Nationwide Launch Sidelines DirecTV, Intros Plans With Sticker Shock

AT&T has officially kicked DirecTV, which has been hemorrhaging subscribers, to the back burner of its pay-TV strategy. But its new internet-fueled competitor likely won’t stanch the cord-cutting bleeding. Starting this week, the telco is throwing all its weight behind AT&T TV, which launches nationwide March 2. Built on an Android-based set-top, the broadband-delivered service offers a lineup of hundreds of live TV channels; 500 hours of DVR storage space; and 40,000 on-demand titles, which can be streamed on a mobile device anywhere in the U.S. It’s also AT&T’s first TV product to embrace other streaming services, with access to Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora — and HBO Max, when it launches in May — along with more than 5,000 apps through the Google Play store, like those for Uber and Starbucks (in case you want to order a latte from your TV).