DirecTV Cuts Cord on Satellite Service in Some Markets

Even DirecTV is cutting the cord, at least when it comes to offering satellite service to customers in certain parts of the U.S.

The company has started a trial run where it will no longer offer new customers the option to sign up for its satellite package — only its streaming service — in “select markets.” DirecTV did not specify which markets those were.

“This limited-time trial will increase awareness and adoption of our satellite-free streaming service, which has quickly become the preferred solution for new consumer customers,” they said in a Wednesday statement.

The trial run aims to give DirecTV a better understanding of what customers are looking for moving forward, according to a person familiar with the plan.

DirecTV’s streaming-only trial run was first reported by Cord Cutter News. But even before the outlet ran its story, a number of DirecTV customers spotted the change earlier this month, with several pointing it out on Reddit.

“So this is not just me… interesting,” one commenter wrote on the DirecTV subreddit. “The satellites are already in the sky… why would they not want my money?”

New customers looking to sign up for satellite service are now greeted with a banner saying “DirecTV Satellite is not currently available in all areas” on the company’s website. The company then says customers can enter their ZIP code to see what type of DirecTV service is available to them.

DirecTV is the third-largest pay TV provider in the U.S., trailing Charter and Comcast, with about 11 million customers. The company had more than 25 million subscribers in 2015, but DirecTV, along with the other satellite and cable providers, has been hit hard in the last decade, as customers have cut the cord — or opted not to get service altogether.

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