AT&T Plans to Gift Free Apple TV to DirecTV Now Subscribers Who Commit to 3+ Months of Service - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

AT&T Plans to Gift Free Apple TV to DirecTV Now Subscribers Who Commit to 3+ Months of Service

by

AT&T plans to gift a free Apple TV to DirecTV Now subscribers who commit to at least three months of paid service, according to documents seen by Variety. Likewise, customers who pay for at least one month of service will allegedly receive a free Fire TV stick. The promotion ensures early subscribers will have at least one device with access to DirecTV Now when it launches.

directv-now
DirecTV Now is AT&T's internet-based live TV streaming service slated to launch in late 2016. The cord-cutter service will start at $35 per month and provide access to more than 100 channels, such as ABC, A&E, CBS, ESPN, Fox, HBO, MTV, NBC, Nickelodeon, and Discovery, on smartphones, tablets, streaming boxes, and other devices. Availability of channels may vary based on regional restrictions.

DirecTV Now will reportedly include a 72-hour catch-up window, allowing subscribers to watch TV shows they missed up to three days later, alongside a video-on-demand library of up to 14,000 titles. A free 7-day trial will be available upon launch.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tags: AT&T, DirecTV Now
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater

Popular Stories

General visionOS watchOS and tvOS Betas Feature Redux

Apple Releases Second watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6 and visionOS 26.6 Betas

Monday June 15, 2026 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the second betas of upcoming watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6, and visionOS 26.6 betas for testing purposes. The software comes three weeks after Apple seeded the first betas. The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required. There's no word on what's in the...
Read Full Article • 6 comments
f 5d631a2d7714517b0b0137e38aadf744d175cb3e

Apple Releases First iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Betas to Developers

Monday June 8, 2026 11:40 am PDT by
Following the WWDC 2026 keynote event, Apple has seeded the first betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 to developers for testing purposes. Registered developers can opt in to betas and download the software through the Settings app on each device. The software includes many of the new features that were shown off earlier today, though some of what...
Read Full Article • 107 comments
Apple TV 2025 Thumb 2 Sans Text

Apple Announces tvOS 27 With These New Features

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00 pm PDT by
Apple barely touched on tvOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote today, but the update exists, and it adds some new features to the Apple TV. In a slide that was shown very briefly during the keynote, Apple revealed some of tvOS 27's new features and enhancements: A redesigned Podcasts app Smoother app launches and animations Faster AirPlay connectivity with other Apple devices Smart ...
Read Full Article • 79 comments

Top Rated Comments

ArtOfWarfare Avatar
ArtOfWarfare
126 months ago
...

Take my money?

I only have a question mark because it sounds too good to be true, and I'm skeptical because it's coming from AT&T, which isn't really known for being so generous...
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mac.cali
126 months ago
Might be worth it. Especially if they let me out of my DIRECTV contract.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G
GizmoDVD
126 months ago
AT&T is buying Time Warner. Wonder if it is Generation 4 or 3 Apple TV? With AT&T the devil is always in the fine print so while this sounds like a good streaming alternative I'll wait and see.
Pretty sure the ATV3 is not receiving any new Apps so it would probably have to be the ATV4.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blacktape242 Avatar
blacktape242
126 months ago
i might be up for something like that.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
TXCherokee
126 months ago
Outside of waiting for ATV5 (hopefully the model that finally get's 4K capabilities) I have't paid much attention to apple tv.

So my question is, does the ability to run apps now mean that the apple TV will easily allow someone to get to amazon prime TV within the apple TV? I know on my old gen 3, I could not. TIA.
Yes, you could get Amazon Prime within the ATV4....if Amazon would just release the app. I know they are delaying it in hopes of promoting their Fire TV, but for those of use that are never going to buy one, yet enjoy Amazon Prime, it's frustrating.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
nightowl
126 months ago
It’s AT&T, folks. Don’t blink. Any rate they advertise will be temporary (introductory). Six months later you’ll pay three times that. Ask anyone who subscribed to AT&T’s U-verse service.
I don't disagree, however, in the streaming era, it's a little different. They don't have a dedicated TV pipe into your home, and I don't see them limiting this service only to those with AT&T home and/or wireless internet. Bundle, yes, but not limit to a generally narrow online audience (considering AT&T home service isn't even available in many parts of the US).

In the streaming world, when you don't like a service, either in price or content delivered, there are other competitors available to sign up with right away. There is at least one direct competitor right now on the Apple TV box, Sling. There is another competitor, PS Vue, that just doesn't happen to be on ATV yet. Hulu, YouTube, and others are coming with their services. If AT&T plays the game the way AT&T always has, they will lose and this service will ultimately fail. The great thing about online delivery is the freedom of choice!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments