• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

AT&T’s DirecTV Now Tries Luring Subscribers With Free HBO

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 20, 2017, 6:59 PM ET
AT&T Celebrates the Launch of DIRECTV NOW
Photo by Dave Kotinsky—Getty Images for DirecTV

AT&T is hoping that promotions can keep bringing in new subscribers for the DirecTV Now live-streaming television service.

The telecoms giant recently announced that, for a limited time, customers can receive a full year of HBO for no additional cost if they sign up for one of DirecTV Now’s two pricier subscription tiers. That means savings of $60 for the full year—HBO usually costs an extra $5 per month for DirecTV Now subscribers. The catch? It only applies to either the Go Big channel tier (which offers 100 channels for $60 per month) or for the Gotta Have It option (120 channels for $70 per month).

The offer is just the latest in a seemingly endless parade of offers trying to lure television viewers towards the over-the-top service and away from cable packages. For example, in a separate promotion, the company is also offering customers a free Apple TV streaming device if they pay upfront for three months of DirecTV Now service. AT&T also previously offered the bundled HBO promotion to existing customers, before announcing on a company forum over the weekend that the deal is now open to new customers, too.

And when DirecTV Now launched in November, AT&T offered a limited promotion that gave introductory subscribers access to 100 channels for just $35 per month—a push that helped the service pull in more than 200,000 subscribers in its first month.

 

The HBO promotional offer comes as AT&T (T) continues to move closer to obtaining regulatory approval for its $85 billion purchase of Time Warner(TWX), which owns HBO along with a host of other media assets. That merger, as well as the launch of DirecTV Now, are part of AT&T’s ongoing plan to embrace vertical integration as a wireless provider that is also a giant in the areas of content production and distribution. (That plan also includes something called “zero rating,” where DirecTV Now subscribers with AT&T wireless service are able to stream an unlimited about of video from DirecTV Now without it affecting their data limit.)

Get Data Sheet, Fortune‘s technology newsletter.

These promotions and bundles are also meant to better help AT&T compete with a growing list of rivals in the live-streaming TV field, where Dish Network’s (DISH) Sling TV and Sony’s (SNE) Playstation Vue have already been active for some time. Just last month, Google (GOOG) entered the fray with its own live-TV online subscription service called YouTube TV, while Hulu (which is backed by several major broadcast networks) is set to launch its competing service in the coming months.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Dante Moore reacts to green and white confetti falling on him.
SuccessSports
An NFL-bound college quarterback just turned down a $50 million payday to stay in school and play another season
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 15, 2026
5 hours ago
Successwork-life balance
Despite a $45 million net worth, Big Bang Theory star still works tough, 16-hour days—he repeats one mantra when overwhelmed
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 15, 2026
10 hours ago
Academy Award-winning actress Zoe Saldaña
SuccessMillionaires
Zoe Saldaña has been crowned the highest-grossing actor, with a $15.5 billion Hollywood portfolio—beating Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson to the top spot
By Emma BurleighJanuary 14, 2026
1 day ago
louvre
Europetourism
Your ticket to the Louvre just went up 45%. Here’s what to know for your next Paris trip
By Thomas Adamson and The Associated PressJanuary 14, 2026
1 day ago
adams
PoliticsObituary
Scott Adams, Dilbert creator who went from cubicle wars to culture wars, posts open letter to time with his death at 68
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast
SuccessBillionaires
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Peter Thiel makes his biggest donation in years to help defeat California’s billionaire wealth tax
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 14, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Being mean to ChatGPT can boost its accuracy, but scientists warn you may regret it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite a $45 million net worth, Big Bang Theory star still works tough, 16-hour days—he repeats one mantra when overwhelmed
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 15, 2026
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Jamie Dimon warns $38 trillion national debt is going to 'bite': 'You can't just keep borrowing money endlessly'
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 14, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.