Why You Can Trust CNET AT&T looking to ditch DirecTV again, report says
The satellite arm is reportedly in talks to be sold off.
AT&T is reportedly looking to offload its satellite TV business.
AT&T is considering offloading its DirecTV business again, according to a report Friday. Private equity firms are in discussion to acquire the satellite TV arm of AT&T in a deal worth under $20 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. The news comes after AT&T was reportedly first looking to ditch DirecTV or merge it with Dish last year.
The carrier launched AT&T TV in March, which provides DirecTV channels over internet streaming rather than satellite. AT&T TV was designed to replace DirecTV and traditional cable TV. It features live TV channels -- including ABC and Fox, plus cable channels such as ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV -- that are streamed over the internet.
AT&T TV requires a two-year contract, costing $50 for the first year and $93 for the second. You can also pay more for access to other channels.
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AT&T's WarnerMedia also launched streaming service HBO Max in July. HBO Max is the most expensive streaming service, costing $15 a month. It includes content like Doctor Who, Friends, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Veep, Gossip Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Sesame Street, new J.J. Abrams content, a new Watchmen TV series, Rick and Morty and new episodes of Adventure Time. DC movies including Wonder Woman and the Harry Potter collection plus Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are also on the service.
Read more: Every streaming service ranked: Disney Plus vs. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock, HBO Max and Hulu
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Also coming to HBO Max are Shows from The CW network like Pretty Little Liars, Batwoman and Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, as The CW winds down its streaming deal with Netflix.
In total, AT&T lost 4 million pay TV subscribers in 2019, ending the year with 20.4 million subscribers in the US.
AT&T declined to comment.
