“Discovery Communications signed what it calls a ‘long-term agreement’ with AT&T that, among other things, guarantees that the programmer will have a place in the lineup later this year when the telco introduces its potentially important DirecTV Now national streaming service,” Deadline.com reports.

The terms of the deal give AT&T’s DirecTV and U-verse access to Discovery’s linear channels, including on-demand and TV Everywhere rights, the report notes.

“The deal’s noteworthy: Some analysts have wondered whether Discovery might be left out as pay TV and online distributors try to win cost-conscious viewers with bundles that offer fewer channels than the traditional expanded basic package but at a lower price,” Deadline notes.

Said Discovery Domestic Distribution President Eric Phillips: “We are pleased that we were able to get a win-win deal done with the largest distributor in the country. Our agreement greatly expands the AT&T platforms that will distribute our award-winning content, including future distribution on DirecTV Now for our portfolio of brands.”