AT&T to stream 100 TV channels for $35 a month

NEW YORK (AP) – AT&T says a streaming service with more than 100 popular TV channels that’s coming out next month will cost $35 a month.

That’s far less than the typical big bundle of channels on cable, which a recent survey from Leichtman Research Group says costs about $100, on average. But it’s comparable to the price of Dish Network’s Sling TV streaming service, which, granted, has fewer channels at that price. It is $20 cheaper than Sony’s PlayStation Vue streaming service tier with a similar number of channels.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson announced the pricing of the streaming service, called DirecTV Now, at the WSJ.D conference while onstage with Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes.

Dallas-based AT&T is buying HBO, CNN and Warner Bros. owner Time Warner for $85.4 billion. The phone company bought satellite TV company DirecTV last year.

Stephenson said AT&T would try to keep the streaming service’s price in check through new advertising models. It’s meant to attract the millions of people who have cut cable in recent years or never subscribed to a cable service at all. Many of those are thought to be ages 35 and younger.