Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are closed to the public, including entertainment venues, fitness centers, salons, nail parlors and certain retailers. (Order)
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Beaches closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work. (Order)
Quarantines: Travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Unless locally restricted, open with social distancing.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: All mass gatherings of 10 or more people must be canceled or postponed.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Unless locally restricted, open with social distancing.
Travel outside home: The governor hasn’t issued a stay-at-home order.
Gatherings: 10-person limit; doesn’t apply to unenclosed outdoor spaces or places of worship.
Businesses: Gym and entertainment venues are closed. Hotels, motels and vacation rentals are restricted to authorized guests.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks remain operational during the daytime.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Gatherings in a single room or place are prohibited. Visitation to hospitals, nursing homes and other residential care facilities is restricted.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are closed.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Some parks are fully closed. Local jurisdictions have closed some beaches.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Public and private gatherings of any number are prohibited with limited exceptions.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks remain open, but playgrounds, picnic areas and campgrounds are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Five-person limit for social and recreational gatherings; 50-person limit for religious services.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses must suspend all in-person operations.
Quarantines: No statewide directive. Out-of-state visitors are strongly urged to self-quarantine.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Trails and grounds of state parks and forests are open with social distancing.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: Visitors from out of state who aren’t just passing through must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Beaches are closed except for exercise or dog walking. State parks remain open with restricted activity.
Travel outside home: Senior citizens and those with significant medical conditions may not leave home unless for essential needs or to go to an essential job. (Order)
Gatherings: No social gatherings in a public space with religious exemptions.
Businesses: Nonessential services are closed to the public. Gun stores remain open.
Quarantines: Visitors from outbreak hot spots, such as the New York tri-state area, must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks remain open with limited hours and reduced capacity. Miami-Dade County has closed beaches and parks.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Open, with social-distancing requirements.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work. Essential services must implement separate operating hours for high-risk populations.
Quarantines: Travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Most state parks and public beaches are closed. All camping and lodging at parks is suspended.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Nonessential gatherings are prohibited. Visits to hospitals, nursing homes and residential-care facilities are restricted.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work. Drive-in theaters and churches are permitted.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: No camping in state parks.
Long Road Ahead for Covid-19 Patient Back Home From ICU
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Long Road Ahead for Covid-19 Patient Back Home From ICU
Maury Hanks was in intensive care and on a ventilator. He survived, but like many Covid-19 patients returning from the ICU, he could face cognitive, emotional and physical challenges. Photo: Gabe Johnson/The Wall Street Journal
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas and historic sites are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Hiking, biking, fishing, boating, birding, hunting and camping are allowed with social distancing.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit, exempting funerals and religious services with social distancing.
Businesses: Residents may not leave home to patronize nonessential businesses, such as hair salons.
Quarantines: Kansas residents who traveled to California, Florida, New York or Washington state after March 14—or visited Illinois or New Jersey after March 22—must self-quarantine for 14 days. The same applies to anybody who had close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out or curbside service only.
Beaches/parks: Most parks are open.
Global Spread
Locations ordered by total reported infections
New daily confirmed cases
Total Cases010k20k30kMarch 20March 27April 3United StatesSpainItalyGermanyFranceMainland ChinaIranUnited KingdomTurkeyBelgiumSwitzerlandNetherlandsCanadaBrazilPortugalAustriaSouth KoreaRussiaIsraelSwedenIndiaAustraliaIrelandNorwayDenmarkChilePolandCzech RepublicRomaniaJapanEcuadorPakistanPeruMalaysiaPhilippinesIndonesiaMexicoLuxembourgSaudi ArabiaSerbiaU.A.E.FinlandPanamaThailandQatarDominican RepublicColombiaUkraineGreeceSouth AfricaArgentinaSingaporeIcelandAlgeriaEgyptCroatiaMoroccoNew ZealandEstoniaIraqMoldovaSloveniaBelarusHungaryHong KongLithuaniaArmeniaKuwaitBahrainBosnia and HerzegovinaAzerbaijanKazakhstanCameroonSlovakiaNorth MacedoniaTunisiaPuerto RicoBulgariaLatviaLebanonAndorraUzbekistanCyprusCosta RicaAfghanistanOmanCubaUruguayBurkina FasoAlbaniaIvory CoastTaiwanReunionJordanChannel IslandsHondurasNigerMaltaBangladeshGhanaSan MarinoKyrgyzstanNigeriaMauritiusBoliviaWest Bank and GazaVietnamMontenegroSenegalGeorgiaSri LankaSt. MartinFaroe IslandsMayotteKosovoCongoKenyaVenezuelaGuineaGuadeloupeBruneiDjiboutiGuamParaguayGibraltarCambodiaRwandaTrinidad and TobagoEl SalvadorMadagascarGuatemalaFrench GuianaMonacoLiechtensteinArubaTogoJamaicaBarbadosMaliEthiopiaUgandaFrench PolynesiaMacauCayman IslandsCongo RepublicBahamasZambiaGuyanaGabonEritreaGuinea-BissauLiberiaHaitiBeninPalestineTanzaniaMyanmarLibyaMaldivesAntigua and BarbudaAngolaSyriaEquatorial GuineaMozambiqueMongoliaNamibiaLaosFijiDominicaSudanCuracaoSaint LuciaBotswanaEswatiniSomaliaGrenadaSeychellesGreenlandZimbabweSaint Kitts and NevisSurinameChadNepalMS ZaandamVatican CitySaint Vincent and the GrenadinesCentral African RepublicBelizeMalawiMauritaniaCabo VerdeSierra LeoneSaint BarthelemyNicaraguaBhutanThe BahamasGambiaWestern SaharaSao Tome and PrincipeBurundiJerseyPapua New GuineaSouth SudanGuernseyThe GambiaEast TimorTimor-Leste431,541152,446139,422113,29682,06781,86564,58660,97138,22624,98323,61221,80719,27716,23813,14113,10510,42310,1319,7559,1416,2376,1086,0746,0425,6355,5465,3415,3355,2024,6674,4504,4144,3424,2284,0763,2933,1813,0342,9322,6662,6592,6052,5282,4232,3762,1112,0541,8921,8841,8451,7951,6231,6161,5721,5601,4071,3461,2391,2071,2021,1741,1241,06698097395592191085584182276473070166362862061158958256455552650248445745745641440938438036235835134334233733031330828027627326426325525224421418918618418418418017916716414113513512512412011711010710393878381787770636359565351454545403937343333313026252522211919191918171616161515141414131212121111111110109988888777665444432221111
Sources: Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering, the Lancet, Associated Press
Travel outside home: Travel outside the state is restricted to essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Mass gatherings prohibited; smaller gatherings are allowed with social distancing.
Businesses: Nonessential retail must close.
Quarantines: Anybody coming in from out of state—including residents—must self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks closed for overnight stays.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Some state parks are open for fishing, hiking and biking during the day.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. No use of public transportation unless absolutely necessary. (Order).
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: Travelers arriving in Maine, regardless of their state of residency, must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Numerous parks and beaches closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work. Senior-citizen activities centers are closed.
Quarantines: People traveling into Maryland from anywhere outside Maryland are required to self-quarantine for 14 days with limited exceptions. (Guidance)
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State park beaches are closed. Some parks remain open.
Travel outside home: People and especially older adults are strongly advised to stay home as much as possible. (Advisory)
Gatherings: 10-person limit. Applies to confined spaces, not parks and other outdoor spaces.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses must close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers and customers. Groceries must reserve an hour in the morning for older customers.
Quarantines: Arriving travelers from out of state are instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: No congregating on coastal beaches. State parks are open and campgrounds closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Public and private gatherings are prohibited, with religious exemptions. Visits to residential-care facilities are restricted.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks are open, but campgrounds, overnight lodging facilities and shelters are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: No statewide directive.
Businesses: Entertainment and performance venues are closed.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Wildlife management areas, state forests and state parks remain open. Campgrounds are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Public parks and beaches closed.
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses must enforce social distancing. Essential retailers must limit occupancy.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks and trails are open during the day.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Nonessential social and recreational gatherings are prohibited, if social distancing can’t be maintained.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: Nonwork travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Open with social distancing.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: People may not congregate in groups of 10 or more.
Businesses: Recreational, entertainment and personal-care businesses are closed, including casinos.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Valley of Fire and Rye Patch are closed. Other parks open for day use only.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Nine-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only
Beaches/parks: Most park sites are open.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential retail businesses must close bricks-and-mortar premises. Recreational and entertainment businesses are closed to the public.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Some beach closures. Parks are open for passive recreation with social distancing.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Five-person limit in a single room or connected space outside residence.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses must suspend all in-person operations.
Quarantines: Arriving air travelers must self-quarantine for two weeks.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. Individuals age 70 and older and those with compromised immune systems must stay home and limit home-visitation to immediate family members or close friends.
Gatherings: Nonessential gatherings are prohibited.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work. (Guidance)
Quarantines: No mandatory quarantine for out-of-state travelers. Mandatory quarantines for people who’ve been in close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Social distancing at state parks.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: People may go to public parks and outdoor recreation areas unless locally restricted.
Travel outside home: The governor hasn’t issued a stay-at-home order.
Gatherings: No statewide directive.
Businesses: Personal-care services and recreational facilities are closed. (Order)
Quarantines: Mandatory quarantine for international travelers returning to North Dakota and domestic travelers coming from places with widespread community infection.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: No statewide directive.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses and operations must cease all activities except minimum basic operations.
Quarantines: Travelers arriving in Ohio should self-quarantine for 14 days with limited exceptions.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Wildlife areas, forests and nature preserves remain open.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. Applies only to residents older than 65 and people or with underlying medical problems. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit. No visitors at nursing homes, retirement or long-term care facilities.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses must suspend services.
Quarantines: Travelers arriving tofrom the New York tri-state area, California, Louisiana and Washington should self-quarantine for 14 days with limited exceptions.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Hiking trails, picnic tables, fishing areas and boat ramps are available for outdoor recreation.
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Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Gatherings over 25 people are canceled statewide. Oregonians are urged to avoid gatherings of 10 people.
Businesses: Nonessential business closures.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: No daytime or overnight visitors are permitted at any state park.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Gatherings are generally prohibited.
Businesses: Non-life-sustaining businesses must close or operate remotely.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Trails, lakes, roads and parking are limited to “passive and dispersed recreation.”
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Five-person limit.
Businesses: Noncritical retail businesses must cease operations.
Quarantines: Mandatory two-week quarantine for out-of-state visitors.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State beaches and parks are closed.
Travel outside home: The governor hasn’t issued a stay-at-home order.
Gatherings: Gatherings of three or more are prohibited if deemed a threat to public health.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work. (Order)
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Public beaches and access points to lakes, rivers and waterways are closed. Local restrictions on parks.
Travel outside home: The governor hasn’t issued a stay-at-home order.
Gatherings: Unnecessary gatherings of 10 or more prohibited. (Order)
Businesses: No statewide directive.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: No statewide directive.
Beaches/parks: No statewide directive.
Can’t Unlock Your iPhone’s Face ID with a Mask On? There’s a Mask For That
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Can’t Unlock Your iPhone’s Face ID with a Mask On? There’s a Mask For That
The coronavirus pandemic means we must wear masks. It also means unlocking an iPhone with Face ID is a challenge. WSJ’s Joanna Stern tracked down a woman who created a mask to get around it.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Social gatherings of 10 or more people prohibited.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks/trails closed.
Travel outside home: Texans must minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household. (A number of major counties have more explicit stay-at-home orders.) No visits to nursing homes or long-term care facilities unless providing critical assistance. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: No eating or drinking at bars and restaurants or visits to gyms, massage establishments, tattoo studios, piercing studios and cosmetology salons.
Quarantines: Air travelers flying to Texas from California, Louisiana or Washington—or Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami—must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Many state parks remain open. Some beaches are closed or limited to restricted activities.
Travel outside home: High-risk individuals (older residents and those with serious underlying medical conditions) may leave only for essential needs/work. Others must stay home whenever possible. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Businesses must minimize face-to-face contact with high-risk employees.
Quarantines: Two-week quarantine after traveling out of state or exposed to a person with Covid-19 symptoms.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Residents may not travel across county lines to go to a state park.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Nonessential gatherings are limited to 10 people.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: Visitors must self-quarantine for two weeks unless traveling for an essential purpose.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: RV parks and campgrounds are closed with emergency shelter exceptions
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: 10-person limit.
Businesses: Recreation and entertainment businesses must close. (Order)
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Beaches are closed except for fishing and exercising. State parks are open for day-use activities. Campgrounds are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: All gatherings of people for social, spiritual and recreational purposes are prohibited.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No statewide directive.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks and recreational fisheries are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: Five-person limit with some exceptions.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: Two-week mandatory quarantines for people traveling into West Virginia from areas of substantial community spread of Covid-19.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: Park lodges, cabins and campgrounds are closed.
Travel outside home: Only for essential needs/work. (Order)
Gatherings: All public and private gatherings are prohibited with limited exceptions.
Businesses: Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Quarantines: No mandatory quarantine for out-of-state travelers. Self-quarantine recommended for out-of-state travelers.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: State parks, trails and forests are open to the public. Campgrounds are closed.
Travel outside home: Residents urged but not required to stay home whenever possible.
Gatherings: Limited to nine people.
Businesses: Theaters, bars, museums, gyms, nightclubs and other public places are closed. (Order)
Quarantines: People traveling to Wyoming for nonwork purposes must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Bars/restaurants: Dine-out only.
Beaches/parks: No statewide directive.
AT&T Inc.T 5.57% launched a satellite into orbit last summer for its DirecTV service. It would be the telecom and media giant’s last.
More than five million U.S. households cut the pay-television cord in 2019 in search of cheaper and more flexible entertainment. Most of those declines came from DirecTV viewers dropping the dish.
On Monday, the company released its answer to that trend: AT&T TV, a Google assistant-equipped set-top box that streams live TV channels over the internet. The service, which like DirecTV offers more than 100 channels through its basic package, is available nationwide for $49.99 a month. The company spent several months testing it in a few local markets.
“Consumers are going to go where they want to go and where they have choice they are going with something over the top,” said Jeff McElfresh, chief of AT&T’s communications division, which houses broadband, TV and wireless service.
TV GUIDE
Keeping up with all of AT&T’s many video-service brands.
U-verse: First launched in 2005, the U-verse brand originally covered broadband and internet-based television from AT&T Inc. Its video service runs over a dedicated private network, much like cable.
DirecTV: AT&T bought the country’s largest satellite-TV provider in 2015. It remains an important pay-TV competitor, though AT&T is steering more new customers toward AT&T TV, which features most of the same channels without a satellite dish.
AT&T TV Now: Launched in 2016 as DirecTV Now, this service offers what is known as a skinny bundle of live TV channels through smartphones, web browsers and third-party devices such as Roku. Its customer base shrank in 2019 as its price and channel count grew.
AT&T WatchTV: An app launched in 2018 with an extra-skinny lineup of TV channels. It is offered free to subscribers with AT&T’s premium unlimited wireless plans. The company hasn’t said how many customers use it.
AT&T TV: The company’s main brand for live channels streamed over the internet to cellphones and TVs. Its bundles are similar to DirecTV’s satellite packages, but lack NFL Sunday Ticket.
HBO Go: A “TV Everywhere” service launched in 2008, HBO Go allowed subscribers to watch the premium channel’s shows over the internet after proving they had already paid through a cable or satellite-TV bundle.
HBO Now: HBO’s first true “over the top” version of the channel. Its app lets subscribers watch shows on-demand for $15 a month.
HBO Max: The flagship brand for movies and TV series that AT&T controls the rights to through its WarnerMedia division. HBO Max will make its debut in May. The streaming service is an expanded version of HBO, though executives say it will grow to include live sports and ad-supported programming.
AT&T TV adds another wrinkle to an already chaotic video market, where new streaming services are competing for consumer budgets and time. Walt Disney Co.DIS 1.98% and Apple Inc.AAPL 9.31% have entered the market with new video offerings, and AT&T is preparing to launch its own in May called HBO Max.
Services offering live TV have suffered the brunt of this competition, no matter which technology they use. Sony Corp.SNE 3.15% last year discontinued its rival PlayStation Vue service, citing rising costs. DirecTV rival Dish Network Corp. posted its first quarterly decline in subscribers for its Sling TV streaming service.
AT&T didn’t design the new TV box to replace any other product it already offers, Mr. McElfresh said. But it differs from the company’s existing satellite and fiber-optic TV services that use closed networks and have about 19 million video customers. AT&T TV rides over the public internet, making it available to anyone with a suitable broadband connection.
“This is where the market is headed,” he said.
The new box offers the company another advantage: It costs less to install. AT&T plans to ship new customers its AT&T TV hardware with self-install instructions, avoiding the need for expensive technician visits to homes.
Satellite TV has some of the highest subscriber acquisition costs—the combined expense of marketing to, signing up and installing gear for each new customer—in the telecom business. Dish Network said it spent about $800 for each new satellite customer it gained last year.
AT&T didn’t provide an estimate of its satellite-subscriber acquisition costs, though Mr. McElfresh said the company expects to spend roughly half as much money gaining new AT&T TV customers as it has adding traditional pay-TV subscribers.
New satellite-dish installations add about $150 to $200 to AT&T’s expenses, according to Craig Moffett, an analyst for boutique telecom research firm MoffettNathanson.
Engineers started working on the product more than a year ago, but the project suffered several delays. Executives say the service is better for it. The box now acts something like a Roku or Apple TV device, combining third-party services such as NetflixNFLX 3.26% and YouTube with content offered through AT&T’s channels. Its remote control includes a voice-activated Google assistant.
AT&T plans heavy promotions to get its new streaming portal into customers’ hands. The box works with any broadband connection, so Comcast Corp.CMCSA 5.17% and Charter Communications Inc.CHTR 0.80% cable customers could subscribe. Mr. Moffett said the service could boost AT&T’s numbers in some areas.
“For example, satellite TV has always under-indexed in urban apartment buildings, where a look angle to the southern horizon often isn’t possible,” he said. “On the other hand, it won’t be much help in the core rural markets, where a reliable broadband connection often isn’t available.”
Many rural customers with dial-up internet speeds won’t be able to use the streaming box and still need DirecTV satellite dishes to receive the same channels. The NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package is also unavailable over AT&T TV because of license restrictions.
The deepest discounts are geared toward AT&T’s fiber-optic internet base, where growth slowed in recent months. The company drops the channel package price to $39.99 a month when bundled with its 1-gigabit broadband service for another $39.99 a month. That promotion also includes a contract, which many consumers have avoided.
Long Road Ahead for Covid-19 Patient Back Home From ICU
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