Sports content delivery for such businesses as hotels, bars and lounges, restaurants, salons, private offices, senior residences and airlines has become big business. That explains why direct broadcast satellite TV provider and broadcast TV industry consolidation foe DirecTV is introducing a streaming TV tool for SMBs.
It’s available to DirecTV for Business customers who own small businesses, as of today. Future plans involve the expansion of the offering to larger business locations.
For those in metropolitan areas where satellite installation may be challenges, streaming could provide a better option. That’s why DirecTV for Business is making a pitch to SMBs, swiping their business from MVPDs and vMVPDs in a world where YouTube and over-the-air broadcast TV with a digital antenna is commonplace in these shops and venues.
Additionally, DirecTV is pitching its access to more than 140 free ad-supported television (FAST) channels. These channels are largely included in any Samsung or LG television, so long as there is a broadband internet connection — something needed for the DirecTV offering.
That is not stopping DirecTV for Business SVP Doug Eichler from making a full-court press to get SMBs to subscribe as the 2026 CES Show gets underway in Las Vegas. He says, “DirecTV for Business has been undergoing the same digital transformation as our consumer platform, and the launch of our new streaming TV for business option gives small business owners more choice and flexibility to help them find the best fit for the best TV experience. From entertaining current customers to attracting new ones, TV can play an important role in the success of your business, and now you can get the ultimate entertainment experience of DIRECTV via streaming or satellite.”
One benefit is immediate for sports bars in Florida: streaming could prevent the storm-driven signal loss often seen during heavy rainstorms, which are frequent across much of the Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer seasons.
