Viacom is the latest media company to announce a carriage deal with AT&T for the upcoming DirecTV Now streaming service.
Under the agreement, the struggling conglomerate’s frontline channels will be included on the highly anticipated virtual MVPD service, which is slated to launch later this year. These channels include Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr. and Logo.
A Viacom spokesman told FierceCable that the deal includes 15 channels in all. It's the same Viacom networks portfolio found in DirecTV's traditional satellite service, he said.
Most of the Viacom networks are now available on rival V-MVPD service Sling TV, albeit in add-on packages. Meanwhile, a more traditional carriage deal announced in May by Viacom with Cox Communications included 22 networks.
For its part, AT&T is now down to needing deals for three significant conglomerates in order to create a live-streamed replacement for traditional TV service — CBS Corp., 21st Century Fox and AMC Networks have not yet announced deals for the platform.
“Viacom’s audiences are among the most sophisticated and enthusiastic consumers of programming on digital platforms, both at home and on the go,” said Denise Denson, executive VP of global content distribution for Viacom, in a statement. “We are committed to delivering the highest-quality content wherever and whenever our fans choose to enjoy it, and are excited to be launching a broad portfolio of our popular networks on DirecTV Now.”
“The diversity of content makes Viacom Networks’ programming a great fit for our DirecTV Now streaming service,” added Dan York, chief content officer for AT&T. “With DirecTV Now, we’re focused on offering quality content with the freedom to watch it anywhere anytime. Viacom is a welcome addition.”
For more:
- read this Viacom press release
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