AT&T launching streaming service next year with HBO included

“Game of
Thrones”
HBO

• AT&T announced on Wednesday it will launch a new
  streaming service next year.
• The announcement comes after AT&T purchased Time Warner
  earlier this year.
• HBO, which was acquired in the merger, will be bundled with
  the service and it will also include Warner Bros. films and
  Cartoon Network animated programs.
• It is expected to be more expensive than HBO, but a price
  will not be announced until next year.

AT&T announced on Wednesday that it will launch a new
streaming service in late 2019, to compete with the likes of
Netflix, Hulu, and Disney’s upcoming streaming service.

“We expect to create such a compelling product that it will
help distributors increase consumer penetration of their current
packages and help us successfully reach more customers,”
AT&T’s entertainment boss and WarnerMedia CEO, John Stankey,
said in a statement.

AT&T purchased Time Warner earlier this year, and this
announcement reflects Stankey’s vision for the company’s future.
Stankey has promised to make big changes to HBO, which AT&T
acquired in the Time Warner merger. And HBO will serve as the
bedrock of the new service. (While users will still be able
to subscribe to HBO separately, the new service will not be offered without
HBO.)

“You’re going to see a stronger HBO as this offering comes
to market,” Stankey said at Vanity Fair’s New
Establishment Summit on Wednesday. “I believe this platform that
we’ll put in place will see other strong brands around it that a
customer can identify with.”

Since AT&T purchased Time Warner, Stankey has been
committed to shifting the way HBO delivers content to be more like Netflix. HBO
has always focused on quality over quantity, while Netflix has
built a massive library of films and TV shows. Now Stankey wants
HBO to add more scale.

“You are competing with devices that sit in people’s hands that
capture their attention every 15 minutes,” Stankey said during a
town hall in July. “I want more hours of engagement. As I step
back and think about what’s unique about the brand and where it
needs to go, there’s got to be a little more depth to it, there’s
got to be more frequent engagement.”

Beyond HBO, the service is expected to include Warner
Bros. films, Cartoon Network animated programs, and more
WarnerMedia properties. It will also be more expensive than HBO’s
standalone service ($14.99), but the price will not be announced
until closer to the launch date.

The new streaming service will launch AT&T into the streaming
war against Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Disney will also debut its
own service in late 2019, and is already developing original
shows based on Disney’s popular properties like “Star Wars” and
the Marvel Cinematic Universe.