DirecTV Stream, the internet pay-TV arm of the satellite provider, has teamed up with smart-TV startup Telly to offer an exciting new deal. New DirecTV customers who sign up for the service, with packages starting at $65 a month, will get priority access to Telly’s waiting list for its revolutionary dual-screen 55-inch TV. Telly has already received over 100,000 sign-ups for the sets within the first 36 hours of establishing the waiting list. And with plans to give away the first 500,000 sets starting this summer, Telly is billing its device as a first-of-its-kind boon to advertisers.
But that’s not all. While Telly is designed to accommodate a range of pay-TV and connected-device inputs, the alliance with DirecTV offers it direct access to an established player. Spun off in 2021 by AT&T into a new entity 30%-owned by private equity firm TPG, DirecTV no longer publicly reports numbers, but industry analysts have estimated it had about 13 million subscribers at the end of 2022. That tally includes DirecTV Stream and U-verse cable systems.
“DirecTV has disrupted the pay TV industry since our founding nearly 30 years ago, and this collaboration with Telly allows us to continue that focus while providing additional value to first-time DirecTV Stream customers looking for new low-cost ways to enjoy their entertainment,” said DirecTV Stream GM Vikash Sharma in a press release.
Ilya Pozin, founder and CEO of Telly, also co-founded free streaming pioneer Pluto TV, which is now owned by Paramount Global. He said the venture will enable DirecTV Stream customers to be “among the very first homes in America to experience the ultimate television living room upgrade.” So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for DirecTV Stream today and get ready to experience the future of TV!
