AT&T announced a multi-year content licensing renewal agreement with NBCUniversal, adding the channels of another major programming conglomerate to its highly anticipated DirecTV Now live streaming service.
Terms of the deal were not announced, but the agreement keeps broadcast network NBC, as well as cable channels including Bravo and USA, on the program guides of AT&T U-verse and DirecTV, as well as the TV Everywhere extensions of those two platforms.
The deal also expands the amount of 4K content available for DirecTV. The satellite operator announced earlier this week that it will begin presenting NBC’s Saturday telecast of Notre Dame football in 4K/UltraHD.
Additionally, NBCU Networks will be added to the portfolio of DirecTV Now when the streaming service launches later this year. With recent deals with HBO and Discovery Communications factored in, AT&T said it has secured licensing rights to more than 100 channels for DirecTV Now.
“We are committed to growing our audiences, and we welcome the opportunity to offer our networks on DirecTV Now,” said Matt Bond, chairman of NBCUniversal Content Distribution.
“We’re pleased to extend our relationship with NBCU with this milestone agreement, which delivers their content across all of our platforms and products,” added Dan York, chief content officer for AT&T. “The NBCU family of networks will be available to AT&T customers for years to come and will also enhance our DirecTV Now streaming services and provide more great 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) sports content.”
News of the NBCU deal comes amid a CNBC report that AT&T is on the cusp of making a major media acquisition.
For more:
- read this AT&T press release
- read this Deadline Hollywood story
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