fuboTV, the sports-focused OTT TV service, plans to launch a 4K offering in beta form this summer, according to co-founder and CEO David Gandler.

fuboTV hasn’t specified how much content in the pixel-packed format it might offer on a linear or on-demand basis, but the company expects to announce more details “in the coming weeks,” Gandler said.

The move will put fuboTV in some select company as a few traditional pay TV providers, such as DirecTV, Dish Network, Altice USA and Comcast have offered a limited amount of content in 4K. Layer3 TV, a managed, market-level, managed IPTV service now owned by T-Mobile that’s also working on a national OTT offering, offers a mix of linear channels and on-demand content in 4K.

Among pure-play OTT services, DirecTV Now is working on upgrades to its streaming platform that will support 4K.

“This is a big push that we have,” Gandler said of fuboTV’s 4K initiative. “For us, [4K] is a big part of our future. Obviously, sports fans who buy expensive TVs certainly want to get the best picture quality.”

In addition to a 4K-capable TV, fuboTV customers that want to take advantage of the future offering will also need to have the app running on a streaming device, such as a Roku player, Apple TV or Fire TV box, that also supports the format.

fuboTV announced last fall that it had more than 100,000 subscribers, and expects to provide updated figures later this year.

While fuboTV’s core focus is the U.S., the company also offers a basic pay TV service in Canada. fuboTV is also developing a version of its service for Western Europe that is expected to launch “very soon,” according to Gandler.

More from the discussion with Gandler and about industry trends and fuboTV's plans will be featured in an upcoming issue of Broadcasting & Cable. 

BELLEVUE, WASH. & DENVER—T-Mobile has completed its acquisition of Denver-based Layer3 TV, an important part of the company’s plan to launch a new pay TV service to challenge cable and satellite TV providers, the wireless carrier announced today.

In December 2017, T-Mobile revealed its intention to buy Layer3 TV as a major step in bringing to market its new television service. “We know people love their TV, but hate their TV providers. But, the reaction to our announcement last month took even me by surprise. People are ready for choice and change,” said T-Mobile President and CEO John Legere in a press release announcing the deal closing.

Read Also: T-Mobile to Launch Mobile TV Service in 2018

The wireless carrier said the time is right for it “to disrupt the entertainment space” with the introduction of 5G and the convergence of wireless, wireline and cable technologies and capabilities. The new T-Mobile TV service will work over landline, mobile Internet connections, regardless of the carrier, including AT&T and Verizon, it said.

Jeff Binder, CEO of Layer3 TV at the time of the acquisition, has joined T-Mobile as EVP and a member of the company’s senior leadership team. He will lead the new T-Mobile TV services. Nearly 200 former Layer3 TV employees have stayed on to work on T-Mobile’s new TV service.

Among the members of Layer3 TV executive leadership team joining T-Mobile are:

· Lindsay Gardner, former president of distribution at Fox; 

· Dave Fellows, former CTO of Comcast and AT&T Broadband;

· Amos Smith, former SVP and CFO of Time Warner Cable Residential Services; and

· Gregg Grigaitis, former SVP products of Suddenlink.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed; however, T-Mobile said the acquisition is not expected to impact previously announced company guidance or expectations.

More information is available on the T-Mobile website. 

BELLEVUE, WASH. & DENVER—T-Mobile will launch a new TV service next year and to help make it a reality the wireless carrier has signed a definitive agreement to buy TV technology firm Layer3 TV for an undisclosed sum, the company announced today.

“We’re gonna fix the pain points and bring real choice to consumers across the country,” said T-Mobile President and CEO John Legere in a press release announcing the new service.

Legere cited consumer discontent with “crappy customer service, clunky technology and outrageous bills loaded with fees” as the reason consumers “hate their TV providers.” “I can’t wait to start fighting for consumers here!” he said.

This is not T-Mobile’s first TV play. The company has sold customers packages with the ability to stream as much mobile video as they wanted and provided them with a free Netflix subscription.

The latest move will leverage Layer3 TV’s offering that today integrates TV, streaming online video content and social media in five U.S. cities. T-Mobile will work with Layer3 TV’s technology and talent to launch its own TV service around the country in 2018.

The company’s wireless network has increased the download speeds of its LTE network by 28 percent over the past year, it said.

“And, T-Mobile’s network just continues to expand and improve with new nationwide low-band spectrum and more advanced technologies deployed than any other wireless company,” the press release says.

T-Mobile paid $7.99 billion in the 600MHz auction earlier this year, acquiring 31MHz nationwide of low-band spectrum. The total represents 45 percent of all low-band spectrum sold in the FCC TV broadcast spectrum auction.