AT&T looking ahead with distribution deal
Streaming sports product expected to draw more young viewers to regional offerings
Here’s something I’ve never written before:
AT&T has a new distribution deal for AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
More than four years after taking ownership of the bankrupt remains of Comcast SportsNet Houston, AT&T has signed its first new distributor in fuboTV, a streaming service that offers 85 channels starting at $44.99 per month.
If you live within the five-state region (for Astros games) and within in area that can receive Rockets games (much of the state, you recall, is zoned for Mavericks or Spurs games), you can get the Houston pro teams via fuboTV without blackout restrictions beginning Feb. 11.
FuboTV is heavy on sports product, including the Fox regional sports networks, beIN Sports, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, FS1, NBA TV, Olympic Channel and Big Ten Network in addition to the usual entertainment channels.
NFL Network is available on a higher tier at $49.99 per month. The ESPN networks are not included. fuboTV, however, does carry KPRC (Channel 2), KHOU (Channel 11) and KRIV (Channel 26).
Other than bringing on DirecTV and AT&T U-verse when it bought the Houston regional sports network, AT&T has been consistently unable to add new subscribers, much to the chagrin of the Rockets, Astros and their fans.
That the first add is a streaming service, though, is indicative of the way the video distribution business is moving, and it’s a good news for teams trying to attract younger viewers.
“For millennials and people who have pushed back on price, this gives them a skinny bundle that they can take to their smart TV, their iPad and phone,” said Reid Ryan, the Astros’ president for business operations. “This puts our product in front of a whole new generation of fans.”
Without elaborating on details, Ryan said the ballclub has attracted what he described as “significant” viewership through the AT&T sports app. FuboTV will provide another option for cord-cutters in Texas and the surrounding states within the AT&T SportsNet Southwest footprint that Ryan said has been sorely needed.
“With the success of the team and the quality of the broadcast, there has been a desire for this,” Ryan said. “A lot of people have asked when we were going to get on a skinny network. We don’t have ownership in the network, so it was up to AT&T. We’re glad they were able to get it done.”