AT&T discontinues 'sponsored data' due to California's net neutrality law The carrier says it'll no longer exempt its DirecTV and AT&T streaming services from its wireless customers' tiered data plans. Listen - 03:16 AT&T is ditching the service for some of its video streaming apps. Getty Images AT&T is ditching its "sponsored data" service for some of its video streaming apps as a result of California's net neutrality law, which prohibits operators from favoring their own services and content over competitors' offerings. AT&T said in a blog post Wednesday that the state law bans "sponsored data" services, otherwise known as "zero-rated" plans. This feature allows AT&T wireless customers on tiered data plans to use AT&T services like DirecTV or AT&T TV without eating into their monthly data allotment. Meanwhile, other streaming video services, like Netflix or Amazon Streaming, do count against monthly usage.