DirecTV Now

DirecTV Now today (finally) took the lid off a couple new plans for its streaming service. Here's what you need to know:

  • The two new plans are called PLUS and MAX. (And that'll be the only time we use them in all uppercase.)
  • Plus costs $50 a month.
  • Max costs $70 a month.
  • Both plans include local channels and a handful of network channels that you'll find on the other DirecTV Now plans.
  • But both plans have fewer channels than you'll find on any of the other DirecTV Now plans.
  • The Plus plan includes an HBO subscription.
  • The Max plan includes HBO and Cinemax.
  • These plans will be available starting March 13.

Here's the full post from AT&T:

We know you love HBO—and NOW you won't miss a moment when you stream with DIRECTV NOW! Tomorrow we're debuting two new AT&T* video packages that include premium access to HBO. With HBO, customers can now enjoy every episode of the best shows like Game of Thrones, Veep and Big Little Lies, plus blockbuster movies, family favorites, documentaries and more – live, streaming and on demand.

In addition to HBO, our new DIRECTV NOW PLUS (for $50) and MAX (for $70) packages come with dozens of live TV channels, including local ones,** and an extensive on-demand library of great movies and TV shows. Both new packages provide slimmer, quality-driven content lineups at competitive prices and with no annual contract. With the MAX package, you get more live sports channels, video-on-demand choices and HBO and Cinemax® included.

DIRECTV NOW PLUS and MAX are just two of the choices we provide for live TV and great video-on-demand. Existing DIRECTV NOW customers can continue to enjoy their current lineup of channels, if they prefer. At launch, more details on DIRECTV NOW PLUS and MAX and other video entertainment choices we offer will be available.

It's important to note that the other five DirecTV Now plans that have been available are not — repeat: NOT — changing price as of yet. (They all got bumped up a bit last year.) AT&T says to expect even more details about the two new plans — presumably, the precise channels each will comprise — at launch. They did, however, get spilled by AT&T last week, and so here's what we're going on:

DirecTV Now plans and pricing
More: The best alternatives to DirecTV Now
Also: How to cancel DirecTV Now{.cta}