AT&T to Offer Vast Video Library With Internet TV Package
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Akimbo Systems Inc.'s library of more than 10,000 television shows and movies including "Citizen Kane," the BBC's "Fawlty Towers" and baseball highlights will be available on demand through AT&T Inc.'s (T) upcoming Internet/television package.
AT&T and Akimbo will charge the regular fees — typically $10 a month, with some programs carrying additional per-use charges ranging from 20 cents to a few dollars. But subscribers won't need to buy a $200 device to view programs.
AT&T Homezone, which combines AT&T's high-speed Internet service and DISH Network satellite television from EchoStar Communications Corp. (DISH), will include a set-top box capable of watching Akimbo, significantly expanding the service's potential reach.
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"It's significant that a significant player like AT&T has recognized that video today means more than just a television channel," said Josh Goldman, Akimbo's chief executive.
AT&T Homezone is scheduled to launch this summer. Pricing has not been announced, but AT&T spokesman Fletcher Cook said the Akimbo service will appear as an additional charge on the same Homezone bill.
Akimbo currently has a distribution deal with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). Computers shipped with the software company's Windows XP Media Center Edition can display Akimbo programs, though customers must sign up separately.
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Goldman, who would not disclose subscription numbers, said about three-quarters of its customers currently come through Media Center, the rest buying the Akimbo device.