DirecTV is reported to be finalizing the deal to acquire competing satellite TV service Dish Network.
El Segundo, California-based DirecTV is owned by the telco AT&T, while the Meridian, Colorado-based Dish Network (formerly EchoStar), is controlled by co-founder Charlie Ergen. The acquisition would also include Sling TV, Dish’s streaming service.
The merger — which would result in a combined entity with 20 million subscribers —has floated around in business circles for some time, but in the past, U.S. regulators deemed the proposed consolidation as anti-competitive, especially for rural residents.
Both companies have been losing subscribers for years and the merger can now be seen as a way for satellite TV services to better compete with cable and streamers in the changing TV landscape.
Leave A Comment