• by Wayne Friedman , March 1, 2016

Looking to jump into the over-the-top (OTT) service industry -- as well as keep pace with Dish Network’s Sling TV -- AT&T says its satellite TV pay service, DirecTV, will be launching three different branded streaming TV services via a wired or wireless internet connection.

With DirecTV Now, consumers can simply sign up for the service, download an app and begin watching --- with no annual contracts. Like Dish’s Sling TV, DirecTV Now will offer on-demand and live programming from many networks. Consumers can add multiple network group options.

DirecTV Mobile is where consumers can watch premium video as well as made-for-digital content -- no matter what wireless provider they use -- on a number of mobile devices.

DirecTV Preview is a free service with content coming from AT&T’s Audience Network, as well as other networks and content including Otter Media, a venture of AT&T and The Chernin Group.

AT&T says the new services will work with virtually any device – smartphone, tablet, smart TV, streaming media hardware or PC. The company didn’t reveal specific pricing, but noted that the new branded DirecTV streaming TV platforms will be “affordable.”

A slew of new OTT services have been launched as cheaper alternative to expensive traditional pay TV packages -- from cable, satellite and telco providers -- that can run $80 to $125 a month on average.

Dish Network’s Sling TV -- launched almost a year ago -- can cost consumers as low as $20 a month. Sling TV is estimated to have around 523,000 subscribers, according to the MoffettNathanson Research.