HBO Is Now Free for One Year for New AT&T TV, DirecTV Subscribers

After offering up 500 hours of its content online for free, HBO has laid down another offer to help lure in long-term subscribers. The premium cable channel is now offering a free year for anyone who signs up for AT&T TV or DirecTV packages.

As Variety pointed out, AT&T is the parent company of WarnerMedia, which owns HBO, and the deal will run through June 27 of this year. There is a catch, however. To take advantage of the deal, customers have to sign up for a two-year contract for either the broadband-delivered AT&T TV service or DirecTV. The price also escalates in the second year, which already doesn't include a free HBO subscription.

For those not in the market to get locked into a two-year contract with a TV provider, there are plenty of free options as part of HBO's prior promotion, which includes some blockbuster films, numerous documentaries, as well as some of its most well-known series. It even includes its wildly-popular (and widely-pirated) Game of Thrones.

Offers such as these are becoming increasingly prevalent as networks and studios are offering more options than ever as a way to entice people to stay home and help further slow the spread of coronavirus. Numerous streaming services are offering extended 30-day free trials. Quibi, which just launched on Monday, is offering a 90-day free trial for anyone who signs up on their website before April 30.

Of course, there's a downside to the uptick of demand for streaming content with 1.5 billion people around the globe under some kind of Stay at Home order. Sites like Netflix and Disney+ have slowed down their streaming speeds in some countries in order to help keep up with demand, while YouTube has also lowered its default streaming setting for the same reasons.

In addition to streaming, scores of network and cable productions have temporarily pulled the plug, with no idea when production may resume. While each network has a handful of shows for its upcoming fall lineup, it will likely mean reruns will be a much more prominent part of schedules for the time being.

As of Tuesday, there have been 396,223 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., with 12,722 deaths and 21,763 recoveries, according to Johns Hopkins University. For pointers on how to stay safe and prepared during the pandemic, their website offers numerous tips here.