AT&T TV Now shutting down to new subscribers: Here’s what you need to know

AT&T is sunsetting its AT&T TV Now streaming TV service and going all-in on its AT&T TV service instead. The change shouldn’t mean much for existing subscribers, but new subscribers will be pushed into a higher-priced tier of service.

The history of AT&T TV Now is complicated. The service first launched back in 2016 under the “DirectTV Now” branding, with the tempting option of a free Apple TV when pre-paying for three months of service. In 2019, AT&T announced that it was rebranding DirecTV Now as “AT&T TV Now” and overhauling the experience.

Then, in March of 2020, AT&T launched its AT&T TV service with an accompanying Android TV-powered set-top box. At this point, the future of AT&T TV Now was thrown into doubt, as it didn’t make much sense for AT&T to offer to highly similar streaming TV services.

So after four years of branding changes, price increases, and channel fluctuations, AT&T has officially announced this week that it is sunsetting its AT&T TV Now streaming service in favor of AT&T TV. As first reported by Variety, AT&T updated its AT&T TV Now website to announce the change.

“AT&T TV Now has merged with AT&T TV to bring you the best live and on-demand experience,” the company writes on its website.

Most recently, AT&T TV Now started at $55 per month for 45+ channels, while a higher-end tier was available for $80 per month with 60+ channels and HBO Max access. For comparison’s sake, AT&T TV starts at $70 for 65+ channels with other tiers available for $85 per month (90+ channels) and $95 per month (130 channels).

While still based on streaming, AT&T TV is far more similar to traditional cable than AT&T TV Now was, offering an optional set-top box and even the option for different rates when you opt for a two-year contract.

As of right now, the change only applies to new customers. If you’re an existing AT&T TV Now subscriber, it doesn’t appear that anything will change — again, at least for right now. We wouldn’t at all be surprised for changes to come to legacy AT&T TV Now subscribers sometime down the line.

If you’re looking to make the jump from AT&T TV Now to AT&T TV, you can learn more on the company’s website. AT&T faces stiff competition in this industry from the likes of Sling, YouTube TV, and more.