DirecTV Now has surpassed the 1 million subscriber mark about a year after AT&T launched the OTT TV service.
This most recent milestone means that DirecTV Now has added about 200,000 subs since it announced Q3 subscriber totals. Company execs have said that about 60% of DirecTV Now subscribers are new to the company.
DirecTV Now has been dueling with a growing batch of virtual MVPDs that also includes PlayStation Vue, Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, fuboTV and, most recently, the an entertainment-focused service from Philo that starts at $16 per month.
Of that group, Sling TV had about 1.68 million subs, according to the latest estimate from Leichtman Research Group. MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett noted in a recent report that virtual MVPDs will end 2017 with a collective 4 million subscribers.
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AT&T noted that it’s putting some “finishing touches” on a mix of new features that are in beta testing and will be rolled out in the coming months.
Those coming additions include a cloud DVR, support for 4K video, a VOD vault with more than 35,000 titles (up from about 25,000 today), individual profiles, and a refreshed interface/user experience. DirecTV Now will also offer plans that allow additional concurrent streams per account.
To lure in more customers, DirecTV Now has some device deals available, including a free Apple TV (the new 4K version) to subs who prepay for four months of service, and a free Roku Streaming Stick for prepaying for 1 month of DirecTV Now. DirecTV Now is also offering new subs a $25 discount for their first month of service.
DirecTV Now, which recently added CBS and The CW in some areas, says it currently offers more than 200 local channels across 90 markets, with nearly 40% of the country now covered by all of the Big Four broadcast TV networks.
