T-Mobile US made perhaps its boldest move yet to sign up new subscribers, offering customers of rival AT&T a free 12-month subscription to DirecTV Now if they switch provider.

The irony of this latest “uncarrier move” will, of course, not be lost on AT&T, the second largest US player, which acquired satellite provider DirecTV for $48.5 billion in July.

DirecTV Now is AT&T’s recently launched content play, which offers on-demand and live programming, plus premium add-on options and forms part of the operator’s plan to integrate content with its mobile offering.

Users can access the service over internet enabled devices, wired and wireless connections.

However, T-Mobile US, led by disruptive CEO John Legere (pictured), is clearly out to scupper AT&T’s ambitions.

T-Mobile said the free DirecTV offer applies to AT&T subscribers who activate two lines and port their number to a T-Mobile One tariff. The operator will then credit the $35 monthly cost of DirecTV Now to subscriber’s bills for 12 months, up to a maximum value of $420.

Legere, in typical  fashion, pulled no punches in a statement announcing the offer.

“AT&T wants you to think DirecTV is theirs exclusively, but that’s a load of crap. Both DirecTV and DirecTV apps stream free on T-Mobile with a faster, more advanced network that covers nearly every American.”

He added that AT&T was distracted by “new businesses” (a reference to its pending TimeWarner acquisition worth a whopping $85.4 billion), accusing the operator of ignoring its 110 million customers.

T-Mobile US said it had also added DirecTV Now to Binge On, its video streaming service.