AT&T Says It Plans to Debut Streaming TV Device by the End of the Year

Dallas-based AT&T said Wednesday that it'll debut a small streaming device that allows customers to login into Netflix, DirecTV Now or another service to watch their favorite shows on their home TVs.It was one of the many bright spots in AT&T's earnings report that left Wall Street cheering. The company said it was growing its DirecTV Now subscriber base, it had added 329,000 additional phone subscribers in the fourth quarter, and it was also reaping a big benefit from tax reform. The company's chief executive Randall Stephenson said Wednesday in an earnings call that the streaming device, similar to an Apple TV or Roku, will be available by the end of 2018. He said AT&T will also launch a new version of its streaming service, DirecTV Now, in the spring that allows customers to record shows on cloud DVR and stream on up to three devices at the same time.Stephenson said the AT&T's top priority for 2018 is closing the acquisition of media and entertainment company Time Warner. The deal, valued at $108.7 billion including debt, would make AT&T the owner of entertainment content from HBO, CNN and Warner Bros. The merger has been blocked by the Justice Department. AT&T and the Justice Department are scheduled to face off in court starting March 19.  Continue reading...