AT&T to launch streaming service, latest to counter Netflix
AT&T to launch streaming service, latest to counter
Netflix
10 October 2018
WASHINGTON (AFP) - AT&T's WarnerMedia said Wednesday
it will launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in late 2019, becoming
the latest challenger to fast-growing operators such as Netflix and Amazon.
The US telecom giant, which recently acquired
media-entertainment conglomerate Time Warner, said the new service would launch
in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The announcement offered no details on the plan, but John
Stankey, who heads the new division created by AT&T, said that "we are
committed to launching a compelling and competitive product."
With the acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T will have
access to a large trove of films, series, documentaries and cartoons from the
Warner Bros studios, Turner Broadcasting and HBO, which already has a 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," Stankey said.
The move comes as rival media giant Disney is preparing
to launch its own streaming service for general content following the debut of
its ESPN sports service.
Other challengers to market leaders Netflix, Hulu and
Amazon will be services from Apple, Facebook and Google-owned YouTube, all of
which deliver content over the internet.
AT&T closed its $85 billion deal for Time Warner in
June, days after a judge rejected an antitrust challenge from the Trump
administration.
An appeal of the case by the US Justice Department is
still pending.
© 2018 AFP
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