AT&T Taps MobiTV for Wi-Fi Hot-Spot Content

AT&T Inc. is adding to its mobile-TV-content portfolio, inking a deal with MobiTV Inc. to provide streaming live TV to its nationwide network of 7,000 Wi-Fi hot spots.

Under the deal, AT&T Wi-Fi hot-spot customers can subscribe to MobiTV’s 15 live channels -- which range from MSNBC and CNN to FSN, Discovery Channel and The Weather Channel -- for $11.99 or pay $5.99 for a 24-hour session. AT&T’s Wi-Fi hot-spot network is available to its digital-subscriber-line customers for an added $1.99 monthly subscription.

It’s a significant deal for Emeryville, Calif.-based MobiTV, which has so far gathered some 1 million subscribers to its streaming-TV service, mostly among cellular-service providers. It has deals with cellular carriers including Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless and Alltel Corp.

"Television viewing has moved beyond the TV set, and we're making it easier for consumers to get great entertainment through AT&T broadband services, including AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots," said Kieran Nolan, vice president of AT&T Broadband. "This agreement helps to enable compelling content for customers interested in a digital lifestyle."