Sprint One-Ups AT&T With Free Year of Service for DirecTV Customers

Sprint is one-upping AT&T's offer to give DirecTV customers a $500 credit on wireless service. For a limited time, DirecTV customers who switch their wireless service to Sprint will get a full 12 months of unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data per line (for up to five lines) for free.

Note that the deal doesn't include the cost of a smartphone, and you'll have to pay a one-time $36 activation fee, as well as monthly taxes and surcharges, so it's not completely free. But the offer is available today through Sept. 30.

The deal is available to any DirecTV customer who switches to Sprint, as well as existing Sprint customers who add a new line of service or pay the full retail price for a smartphone. Sprint normally charges $60 a month for unlimited talk, text, and data, plus the cost of your phone.

DirecTV customers must upload their most recent bill here, then go to Sprint.com or call the company at 1-800-Sprint-1 to redeem the offer. Or, you can head over to your local Sprint store and log on to your DirecTV account online to show verification and sign up.

You also won't have to worry about any early termination fees from your current carrier. Sprint will give you an American Express gift card to cover that after you've registered online and turned in your current phone.

After the 12 months of free service, Sprint will start charging you $50 a month for one line, $90 for two, $120 for three, $150 for four, or $180 for five lines.

In a statement, Sprint's Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Crull took aim at rival AT&T. "DirecTV customers love their TV service — but they shouldn't have to settle for AT&T wireless," Crull said. "Why not build the perfect bundle by combining with Sprint wireless?"

AT&T completed its $48.5 billion takeover of DirecTV in July, and isn't too thrilled with the deal.

"This ranks right up there with a desperate Hail Mary pass to a petite defensive lineman," AT&T spokesman Brad Burn told The Wall Street Journal. "With Sprint's network and the many asterisks on this deal, we're feeling good about our offers."

The move comes after Sprint earlier this year lost its position as the nation's third-largest wireless carrier to T-Mobile. The company now comes in fourth, behind the uncarrier, Verizon, and AT&T.