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DirecTV has announced plans to start broadcasting live 4K content in early 2016.

The announcement was made at the recent TranSPORT conference in New York. From ArsTechnica.com:

At the conference, [SVP of Video and Space Communications Phil] Goswitz explained that the company currently has the ability to transmit up to 50 new UHD channels, and live sports transmissions are already being tested as part of next year's rollout. DirecTV already has the hardware in place, and according to Goswitz, the company wants to get ahead of cable companies and provide viewers with 4K content they can't get from their cable companies. "I think the belief that there are technology challenges is a bit of a misinformed myth," he said. "I think technology throughout the entire ecosystem is ready. But I think content is king; the plane is ready to take off and there is no king on board."

Goswitz went on to say that DirecTV is "moving into working with partners" to create more 4K content. Currently Netflix and YouTube have some 4K video ready to stream, but most companies continue to focus on hardware. Roku and TiVo recently came out with updated set-top boxes ready for 4K streaming, but they still have to work with the finite amount of 4K content available.

DirecTV launched an on-demand 4K streaming service late last year featuring a limited number of titles from Paramount and K2 Communications. The service requires the company's Genie HD DVR and a 4K/Ultra HD TV that supports HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2, and a minimum of 60 frames per second, including “DirecTV 4K Ready” TVs from Samsung.