AT&T Is Now A “Modern Media Company,” Says CEO Randall L. Stephenson

Following the acquisition of Time Warner in June 2018, AT&T is now positioned as a “modern media company,” says Randall L. Stephenson, chairman and CEO.

The Dallas-based company can now deliver ownership of premium content, nearly 300 million direct-to-consumer relationships, technology to deliver “addressable advertising” and high-speed networks, Stephenson said at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia Conference in September.

Indeed, AT&T’s wireless network was recognized as the No. 1 network by research firm Global Wireless Solutions, for the network’s best video streaming quality, quickest loading times and best voice retainability, he added.

This year AT&T will rollout 5G high-speed wireless service, after becoming the first U.S. carrier to introduce a standards-based, mobile 5G network and device. This will provide the network bandwidth required as customers increase engagement with premium video and emerging 4K and virtual reality content, according to the company.

“I’m as energized about 5G as any technology that we’ve ever deployed,” Stephenson said at the UBS Global Media and Communications conference in December, Variety reported.

AT&T’s premium content portfolio now combines movies and shows from Warner Bros., HBO and Turner, along with more targeted digital content from Bleacher Report, FilmStruck and AT&T’s investment in Otter Media, among others.

AT&T has more than 170 million direct-to-consumer relationships across its TV, video streaming, mobile and broadband services in the U.S., mobile in Mexico, TV in Latin America, in addition to D2C digital properties such as HBO NOW, Boomerang, FilmStruck and CNN.com.

In North America, AT&T covers more than 400 million people with its 4G LTE network and has more than 163 million wireless subscribers. The company provides high-speed internet connections to more than 60 million U.S. customer locations; ultra-fast fiber connections covering more than 9 million U.S. locations; global IP network services that connect more than 3 million businesses on 6 continents, representing 99% of the world’s economy; and more than 44 million connected devices and sensors connected to its network.

Randall began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone in 1982 in Oklahoma. He served as the company’s senior executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2001 to 2004, and from 2004 to 2007 he served as chief operating officer. Randall was appointed to AT&T’s board of directors in 2005 and was named to his current position in 2007.

He’s No. 9 on Chief Executive and RHR International’s CEO1000 Tracker, a ranking of the top 1,000 public/private companies.

Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T

Headquarters: Dallas, TX

Age: 58

Education: University of Central Oklahoma and University of Oklahoma

First joined company: 2007

Positions prior to joining AT&T: Southerwestern Bell Telephone

Named CEO: 2007