DirecTV is pushing its pay TV bundle — without a satellite dish

Coach Prime wants consumers to know they can watch DirecTV without a satellite dish. 

The company best known for providing the traditional TV bundle through satellite dishes posted on the sides of houses and on top of buildings is rolling out the next iteration of its ad campaign, “For the Birds,” with NFL star-turned-college football coach Deion Sanders joining the flock.  

The focus of the ad campaign: DirecTV is a streaming company, too.

As pay TV distributors — both satellite and cable companies — have seen customers flee for streaming, DirecTV is trying to get the message out that a clunky satellite dish is no longer needed for its service. 

“We’ve been selling a streaming product for some time, right? It’s not new to us. But many customers didn’t know,” said Vince Torres, chief marketing officer at DirecTV. “We built this as an alternative. … We know that 80% of people prefer not to put the dish on the side of their house.”

Further, the company’s research showed 75% of consumers thought a satellite dish was still required for DirecTV even though it’s had a streaming option since 2016, Torres said. “That’s a very, very large percentage of prospects.”

This research and shape-shifting media landscape led DirecTV to refocus its marketing efforts — even as Torres contends the company is still a satellite TV provider and values those customers.

The ad campaign that rolled out earlier this year features pigeons voiced by actors Henry Winkler and Steve Buscemi who look through windows while people are watching DirecTV, wondering how it’s possible without a satellite dish on their rooftop. 

The pigeons lament the loss of the dishes. Winkler’s Frank said he “loved doing my business on those things,” while Buscemi’s Bobby quips, “them dishes kept the rain off our beaks.” 

While the changes in media played into his interest in the commercial, Buscemi said in an interview he was sold on perfecting the voice and character of a New York City pigeon.

“For me, it was more about the creative part of it,” Buscemi said. “I just really thought these characters were very funny.”

There’s been a roughly 50% increase in prospects coming to DirecTV’s website since the launch of the ad campaign, Torres said.

Sanders’ inclusion comes just before one of the busiest times of the year for U.S. sports: beginning with college football and the NFL, followed by the start of the NBA and the NHL, as well as MLB’s postseason.

Sanders,…