More belt-tightening at AT&T as it ends DirecTV Now discount promotion

AT&T is ending a promotion that offered $15 per month off DirecTV Now streaming service with unlimited wireless plans. Cord Cutters News reports that the offer will end on November 15, though existing customers will get to keep the discount if they sign up before then.

This appears to be one of several ways that AT&T is trying to make DirecTV Now more profitable. In recent months, the company has eliminated deals on Apple TV and Roku players for new subscribers, and has raised the price of all DirecTV Now plans by $5 per month. In a recent earnings call, AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan bemoaned how cord-cutters are “seasonally shopping for shows” and “jumping from promotion to promotion” with services like DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV.

Interestingly enough, unlimited wireless customers can still get AT&T Watch–a “skinny” $15-per-month bundle of non-sports channels–at no extra charge. AT&T had hyped up free TV service earlier this year while trying acquire Time Warner, saying it was contingent on beating a government antitrust case. With the U.S. Department of Justice still fighting the verdict on appeal, killing off the discount now might be a bad look.