Sprint offers DirecTV customers discounts on phone service

Sprint is offering DirecTV customers one free year of cellphone service in a bold move aimed at the satellite TV company’s new owner, AT&T.

AT&T, which bought DirecTV for $48.5 billion in July, has been promoting a bundle that knocks $10 a month off a combined bill for video and wireless phone service.

For a single line, the value of Sprint’s promotion is about $50 a month. It’s Sprint’s way of offering DirecTV customers a bundle without actually owning a video company.

“DirecTV customers love their TV service — but they shouldn’t have to settle for AT&T wireless,” said Kevin Crull, Sprint’s chief marketing officer.

Overland Park-based Sprint, which is in the midst of a turnaround effort, has been making a range of promotional offers to lure customers. But so far the nation’s fourth-largest wireless company hasn’t been as successful as T-Mobile, which went through its own turnaround.

Craig Moffett, a senior analyst at MoffettNathanson, said the latest promotion was bold but reckless.

“Sprint is already losing money and is burning through its remaining cash at an incredible rate,” he said. “Offering free service for a year will only make a bad situation worse.”

AT&T released this response: “This ranks right up there with a desperate Hail Mary pass to a petite defensive lineman. With Sprint’s network and the many asterisks on this deal, we’re feeling good about our offers.”

AT&T also noted a J.D. Power survey, released Thursday, on customer satisfaction with wireless networks. Sprint ranked last overall. AT&T was second.

The Sprint offer is good for up to five lines on a single account, with each getting 2 gigabytes of data each month and unlimited calls and texts. It begins Friday and runs through Sept. 30. DirecTV customers must show some proof, such as a DirecTV bill from the past 60 days, when signing up. But people can still sign up for DirecTV now to get the Sprint offer.

What’s the catch?

▪ Existing Sprint customers must add a line of service to qualify. And both new and existing customers must buy or lease a new phone through Sprint — they can’t use one they already own.

▪ Customers must pay a one-time activation fee of $36, plus some monthly taxes and surcharges.

▪ The free offer is good for only a year, but phones typically take two years to pay off. For the second year, customers would pay $50 a month for a single line to $180 for five lines. That’s comparable to current rates.

▪ There’s no option for data beyond 2 gigabytes without paying higher fees for exceeding the cap — 1.5 cents per megabyte, or $15 per gigabyte. And these aren’t shared plans, so overage fees apply even if family members are below the cap. That said, 2 gigabytes is plenty for most people, unless they stream video.

Price should be only one factor in comparing services. Sprint’s network isn’t as extensive as Verizon’s or AT&T’s, particularly in rural areas. Free service isn’t good if it won’t work where you need it.

The free service will cost Sprint $600 per line, plus any charges to pay off rivals’ contract termination fees or to finish off payments under monthly installment plans.

Nonetheless, the latest promotion shows how aggressive phone companies have become as they try to lure customers from each other, given that most Americans now have cellphones.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Sprint offers DirecTV customers discounts on phone service."