AT&T rechristened its eight-month-old video entertainment site as "U-verse Online," setting the stage for the telco's plans to offer a TV Everywhere authenticated-content service later in 2010 to U-verse TV subscribers.
The company in September 2009 launched the AT&T Entertainment site, which provides free-to-consumer streaming TV shows, movies and video clips on computers. With the new name, AT&T brings the site under the same branding umbrella as its triple play of U-verse TV, Internet and Voice services.
AT&T said later this year it plans to offer U-verse TV customers the ability to log in to U-verse Online for access "to even more TV content choices and features" at no extra charge. The company did not identify which programmers it is working with on the TV Everywhere service.
Most of the free-to-consumer content currently available on the site
is provided through a deal with Hulu, the joint venture of NBC
Universal, News Corp. and Walt Disney Co.
While U-verse Online is open to any online user at att.net/uverseonline, AT&T U-verse TV customers are able to access additional features and account information.
On the wireless front, AT&T in March previewed U-verse Mobile, a mobile app that will allow U-verse TV customers to download and watch select shows on their Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones later this year.
"The benefits of multiscreen convergence are coming to life for AT&T U-verse customers," AT&T president of content Dan York said in a statement. "With AT&T U-verse, you can enjoy your favorite content on U-verse TV, U-verse Online, and soon, your mobile device with U-verse Mobile."
In addition to video content, the U-verse Online site now also provides U-verse TV information that was previously found on the AT&T U-connect site (uconnect.att.com). That includes details about U-verse TV programming and television events, including channel lineups, on-demand titles, pay-per-view events and interactive apps. U-verse customers also can schedule and manage DVR recordings on the site.
As of the end of March, AT&T had about 2.3 million U-verse TV subscribers.
