http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/artic...1-09_05-21-18_N08426594&type=comktNews&rpc=44
LAS VEGAS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - EchoStar Communications Corp. (DISH.O: Quote, Profile , Research) is offering a year's free satellite TV service to AT&T Inc (T.N: Quote, Profile , Research) broadband customers who commit to a two-year contract under a promotion from the companies in seven markets, AT&T's chief marketing officer for consumer services said on Monday.
Rick Welday said AT&T is offering the promotion as part of its efforts to find new ways to use bundles of services such as video, voice and broadband, to compete with cable companies, which now also sell telephone and broadband services.
"(Satellite's) strategy has never been more aligned with ours because of the desire to have bundles of service," Welday said in an interview with Reuters at the Consumer Electronics Show.
With the aim of competing with cable operators, AT&T has started to build its own television service over its telephone lines. But that service is limited so far, and AT&T has sold EchoStar TV services for some time. EchoStar also sells AT&T's broadband Internet service.
Under their promotion, customers who sign on for an AT&T broadband Internet service could get 60 Echostar channels, which usually cost $34.99 a month, free of charge for a year if they sign a two-year contract.
Welday did not say whether the companies, which started advertising the promotion locally last week, would expand the promotion beyond the seven markets.
The promotion is available in San Antonio, Austin, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Connecticut.
LAS VEGAS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - EchoStar Communications Corp. (DISH.O: Quote, Profile , Research) is offering a year's free satellite TV service to AT&T Inc (T.N: Quote, Profile , Research) broadband customers who commit to a two-year contract under a promotion from the companies in seven markets, AT&T's chief marketing officer for consumer services said on Monday.
Rick Welday said AT&T is offering the promotion as part of its efforts to find new ways to use bundles of services such as video, voice and broadband, to compete with cable companies, which now also sell telephone and broadband services.
"(Satellite's) strategy has never been more aligned with ours because of the desire to have bundles of service," Welday said in an interview with Reuters at the Consumer Electronics Show.
With the aim of competing with cable operators, AT&T has started to build its own television service over its telephone lines. But that service is limited so far, and AT&T has sold EchoStar TV services for some time. EchoStar also sells AT&T's broadband Internet service.
Under their promotion, customers who sign on for an AT&T broadband Internet service could get 60 Echostar channels, which usually cost $34.99 a month, free of charge for a year if they sign a two-year contract.
Welday did not say whether the companies, which started advertising the promotion locally last week, would expand the promotion beyond the seven markets.
The promotion is available in San Antonio, Austin, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Connecticut.
