DirecTV NOW Will Be Adding A Couple Of Local Affiliate Stations Coming Week

AT&T has announced a big upcoming expansion to its DirecTV NOW television service, adding a large number of local affiliate stations. This channel expansion will take place starting next week; once it happens, DirecTV NOW’s local station offerings will cover nearly 70-percent of households in the US with television. The local stations, of course, are the same as the local FOX and similar stations you get through traditional cable and satellite, bringing local news and more.

According to AT&T, this expansion will more than double DirecTV NOW’s local stations following the service’s launch late last year. ABC in particular will be expanding to more than 30 additional markets throughout the nation, including big regions like Boston, Atlanta, and Dallas-Forth Worth.


FOX will be part of this expansion, arriving in Juneau, AK. NBC, meanwhile, be falling between the two with an expansion into four new markets: West Palm Beach, Florida, Kansas City, Missouri, Milwaukee, and Salt Lake City, Utah. This won’t mark the end of the local station expanion, though; AT&T says the number will triple by the end of August, bringing in more markets.

Overall, and depending on the channel package, DirecTV NOW users can get access to more than 120 channels delivered over the Internet; this includes everything from basic channels to sports, premium content, on-demand shows, and more. Unlike traditional television services, there’s no required credit check or contract requirement.

SOURCE: AT&T

Charter Begins Testing Spectrum Live Streaming TV Service

Charter is currently testing an online streaming television service that could soon launch for customers across the nation. The service is billed as a cheaper alternative to traditional cable, one that comes with the convenience of online streaming versus using a satellite dish or a cable box. The service is called Spectrum Stream, and it competes with things like DirecTV NOW, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, and Hulu Live TV.

Charter announced the streaming test yesterday, saying it is currently available to a select number of its Internet customers who don’t have a related cable package. The purpose of testing with these individuals, according to the company, is to see how Spectrum Stream appeals to individuals who are currently video customers.


It seems the company is hoping to lure in some of those Internet-only customers to a video offering that is cheaper than — and therefore more appealing than — regular cable. Cable-cutters are choosing to skip cable for a number of reasons, not the least of which are streaming services’ lower prices coupled with the freedom to consume content on many devices.

As with other live TV streaming options, Charter’s plan doesn’t require a contract — it is also considerably cheaper with a starting price of $19.95, though the cost goes up when premium channels are added. The base package features about 25 cable channels plus local broadcasting channels — there’s FX, FOX, A&E, CBS, ABC, E!, Animal Planet, WGN, AMC, TNT, TLC, Oxygen, PBS, NBC, TBS, CNN, and other viewer favorites.

SOURCE: Reuters