AT&T's WarnerMedia Ride is now officially available on iOS and Android - CNET

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AT&T's WarnerMedia Ride is official. 

AT&T

AT&T's WarnerMedia Ride has made a few appearances in recent weeks but now the service is officially available on iOS and Android. 

The new service allows for watching TV shows, documentaries and short clips from AT&T properties while connected to a car's AT&T-provided in-vehicle Wi-Fi. Shows available to stream include full episodes of Rick and Morty, Looney Tunes cartoons and Pretty Little Liars as well the HBO Max kids show Craftopia. News and sports clips from AT&T-owned CNN, Turner Sports and Bleacher Report will also be available, as will documentaries from CNN and game shows such as Ellen's Game of Games (which is produced by Warner Horizon Television). 

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Shows will be available on-demand or in one of four channels devoted to "animation," "entertainment," "news/sports" and "variety." Although the company calls this section "live channels," at launch there are no traditional live feeds such as broadcasts from CNN or sporting events from TBS or TNT. 

As with HBO Max, AT&T's premium streaming service, the exact content available on the app at any given time will change depending on licensing agreements. 

The new offering is available at no additional charge for those with an unlimited AT&T in-car Wi-Fi plan, a $20-a-month add-on for AT&T customers with compatible cars that also allows you to turn your car into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot (unlimited data for non-AT&T users runs $25 a month). AT&T touts relationships with over 25 car brands for the service on its website, including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. 

The WarnerMedia Ride app features four "live" channels that cycle through content. 

AT&T

You'll need to be connected to your car's Wi-Fi, and be in an area with AT&T service, to use the app. There's no option to download shows to watch after you exit the vehicle and disconnect from the car's Wi-Fi. Although this limits when and how you can watch, it means you won't have to log in to use the app. Instead, it will authenticate by recognizing that you're on your car's Wi-Fi. This should be helpful for passengers: All they'll need is the app and a device to be able to watch.

Although some cars such as Teslas have entertainment apps integrated into their dashboard infotainment systems, at launch AT&T is largely relying on having people stream directly to their Android or iOS devices. 

Barry Loudis, vice president of WarnerMedia's content experiences division, suggests the company may add it directly to cars like the concept Jeep Wagoneer in the future. Jeep's concept SUV features tablets attached to the second-row headrests for keeping backseat riders entertained as well as a display built into the dashboard of the front passenger seat. 

"We want to have our content and tell our stories in any screen we can," says Loudis. 

Similar to HBO Max's launch earlier this summer, a number of improvements are in the works for the service but are not ready in time for launch. AT&T says that films will be coming to the app, with Loudis saying that a dedicated kids section and the option to set parental controls inside the app will be arriving in future updates. 

The company is also working on an HBO Max bundle for connected car subscribers, but what exactly that will cost remains unknown. More information on the bundle is coming "next year."  

The Link Lonk


October 20, 2020 at 08:00PM
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AT&T's WarnerMedia Ride is now officially available on iOS and Android - CNET

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