AT&T exploring Deal to sell off DIRECTV.

[nelson61]

They want to sell it because they are loaded up with debt, have the customer list, and things are going to get worse for satellite TV. Like selling a car because components are starting to fail but it still is usable.

Both the federal and state governments are continuing to subsidize fiber optic service for under served areas (the last holdout for satellite TV).

And, it's not going to suddenly stop. Every year for the next decade or two, more "eyes" will be connected, decreasing the need for satellite service.

Example; The sister-in law lives in rural sticks with big package of Directv service. No way can that low density area support fiber construction cost. But, the digger was on their highway this week laying fiber . And everyone in that several hundred miles of digging, will be connected through their co-op (funded with federal and state subsidy).

 

[hokie74]

It will be a much bigger Dinosaur if StarLink works out like they say it will, all those rural customers will have access to high speed internet and all the entertainment choices that come with it.

I am in rural Colorado. If I could get Starlink with unlimited data I would dump DirecTV tomorrow and replace it with YouTube TV. It just will not work over Hughes net.

 

[Jimbo]

Why att buy it directv first place if u want so bad buy now att complaint don’t have money that’s silly u already own directv and att now and internet and att wireless service and cable company no making nonsense at all why they want rid of it directv u just brought directv they shouldn’t never brought it first place that’s too bad I’m not leaving directv I’m happy with service if they trying rid I guess I had to go back cable again because ofc is not enough Channels on Comcast that’s one plm I’m happy with directv had more channels than Comcast


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

Just because D* might be getting sold, doesn't mean you have to look for another provider ...
They are trying be sold, not shut down .... keep your service with whoever picks it up.

 

[Jimbo]

They want to sell it because they are loaded up with debt, have the customer list, and things are going to get worse for satellite TV. Like selling a car because components are starting to fail but it still is usable.

Both the federal and state governments are continuing to subsidize fiber optic service for under served areas (the last holdout for satellite TV).

And, it's not going to suddenly stop. Every year for the next decade or two, more "eyes" will be connected, decreasing the need for satellite service.

Example; The sister-in law lives in rural sticks with big package of Directv service. No way can that low density area support fiber construction cost. But, the digger was on their highway this week laying fiber . And everyone in that several hundred miles of digging, will be connected through their co-op (funded with federal and state subsidy).

I hope your right ...
More often than not, you see the cable or fiber being laid down the highway and it goes right on by to its destination, without ever being planned for said neighborhood ... just because its going down the road, doesn't mean its going into the neighborhood.

 

[slice1900]

I hope your right ...
More often than not, you see the cable or fiber being laid down the highway and it goes right on by to its destination, without ever being planned for said neighborhood ... just because its going down the road, doesn't mean its going into the neighborhood.

If it is their electric co-op doing it everyone will get service. Even without subsidies many small co-ops have been doing this, because they already have to maintain the right of ways for electric anyway and having a second source of revenue via internet helps defray that cost.

But the main reason is because they are owned by their customers, so once enough customers want it it will get done even if it will take many years to pay back the cost of building it out - they have a far longer time horizon than a public company where people only pay attention to the next quarter's or next year's results and don't want investments with a 10 or 15 year payback.

 

[nelson61]

If it is their electric co-op doing it everyone will get service. Even without subsidies many small co-ops have been doing this, because they already have to maintain the right of ways for electric anyway and having a second source of revenue via internet helps defray that cost.

But the main reason is because they are owned by their customers, so once enough customers want it it will get done even if it will take many years to pay back the cost of building it out - they have a far longer time horizon than a public company where people only pay attention to the next quarter's or next year's results and don't want investments with a 10 or 15 year payback.

I'm talking really out in the country. There is no way in hell their co-op could afford it (without federal/state grants) with the relatively few customers they have without charging monthly fees the customers could not afford .
she reports, the typical 1/8- 1/4 mile entry to each home has highway signs "scheduled for install" at the entrances.

The cost - $50/month and no install charge if signed up and installed while they are burying the main line.
She's already scheming on how to get out of her Directv contract. Told her good luck with that, run out the contract or pay the penalty are her options.

 

[slice1900]

There are ways to do those 1/4 runs cheap, if there are poles instead of buried lines. You can run fiber on the poles, or run RG6 with an extended ethernet protocol.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Why would private equity want to buy a giant of the dinosaur age? It isn’t a viable long term investment and how much can be sold for parts?

Why did Frontier buy some of AT&T’s copper assets?

 

[Claude Greiner]

I'll bet the private equity guys are the ones who started this rumor... If they do end up selling Directv, I'm willing to bet AT&T TV comes along with it.

Likely NOT.

Lately If you order Directv they are pushing AT&T Tv.

AT&T is keeping the streaming business, why else would they be pushing customers that way.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I hope your right ...
More often than not, you see the cable or fiber being laid down the highway and it goes right on by to its destination, without ever being planned for said neighborhood ... just because its going down the road, doesn't mean its going into the neighborhood.

I got a big fiber pedestal right infront of my grandfathers hunting property.

No cable service there, the nearest highway is 4 miles in 1 direction and a very small town 3 miles in the other.

Last time I was there, I was like WTF is all this sand everywhere. Sure enough fiber junction point.

Even at my office both AT&T and Comcast have Fiber. Makes no sense as I’m next to a cemetery which is a dead end and I have an airport behind me which is another dead end.

 

[comp9]

Likely NOT.

Lately If you order Directv they are pushing AT&T Tv.

AT&T is keeping the streaming business, why else would they be pushing customers that way.

Not me. Switched back to Directv from ATT TV and ATT TV also waived my cancellation fees

 

[Yespage]

Why did Frontier buy some of AT&T’s copper assets?

Are those sats recoverable scrap?

 

[Jimbo]

I got a big fiber pedestal right infront of my grandfathers hunting property.

No cable service there, the nearest highway is 4 miles in 1 direction and a very small town 3 miles in the other.

Last time I was there, I was like WTF is all this sand everywhere. Sure enough fiber junction point.

Even at my office both AT&T and Comcast have Fiber. Makes no sense as I’m next to a cemetery which is a dead end and I have an airport behind me which is another dead end.

Businesses are a huge potential for fiber customers ...
Then again, we have State Farm ins in town that has had Fiber available in thier building for years, but say they don't want it ...

Having both services in your building is a bit more rare, however, good for you in case you need to change ...

When i was doing businesses it was common to have Att U Verse or dsl in the business and the local cable company as well, usually one is a back up for the other.

 

[Jimbo]

Why did Frontier buy some of AT&T’s copper assets?

Frontier has bought up copper landlines for years ....

 

[ncted]

Why did Frontier buy some of AT&T’s copper assets?

And legacy Verizon copper, and a whole bunch of other cast offs no one wanted? Frontier is so poorly run, I honestly suspect they were somehow setup by the industry to take the fall for everyone else when it comes to legacy copper. I do know they didn't want the FiOS they inherited in North Myrtle Beach when they bought that market from Verizon, but it was part of the deal. My father in law retired early from Verizon rather than go work for Frontier in that area.

 

[slice1900]

Likely NOT.

Lately If you order Directv they are pushing AT&T Tv.

AT&T is keeping the streaming business, why else would they be pushing customers that way.

Because installs are cheaper.

I think they'll dump Uverse TV with it too. It isn't satellite that is dying, it is the entire MVPD model that is dying. Selling the MVPD model over the internet isn't going to be any more long term successful than satellite. Look at how the streaming MVPD market is already consolidating and has peaked at only a few million customers. AT&T is never going to get a Directv sized business out of AT&T TV. If they want to dump the legacy they will dump ALL the legacy, and keep HBO Max as the future with good growth potential.

 

[slice1900]

Are those sats recoverable scrap?

DBS satellites would have very little resale value. Both the national beam (tailored to the US) and spot beams are specific to the location.

Besides, no one is going to shut Directv down for the parts when it is generating over a billion in cash flow per quarter. The broadcast facilities have value, but not billions of dollars of value. It'll be operated by AT&T or any future owners until the amount of money it promises to generate in the future is less than the sale of remaining assets like broadcast centers. It will be a number of years before that point is reached.

 

[SamCdbs]

Understand how the stock market works. Publicly listed companies are, by virtue of having to respond to self-appointed empty suit analysts, chasing the dumb money. Empty suit analysts hate debt; they love to make recommendations (unsolicited) urging the break up of any company into pieces (which creates churn, which is how these people's bosses make money. And they HATE normal manufacturing or service companies that have an entertainment division. They hated it when Coca-Cola owned Columbia Pictures, 30 or 40 years ago, they hated it when G&W owned Paramount; and they loathed GE for owning NBC Universal. These people put pressure on the stock price.

Private equity money is SMART MONEY. This is just a code word for wealthy people and institutions. They have no need to respond to anybody. And the smart money understands that pipe-dream fantasies about technologies that do not exist and probably never will; and empty political promises to rural America from people who have not been more than 25 miles from an airport with international service in their lives, are worthless. And understand that there are still people who want LINEAR TV, not streaming, including live sports and their LOCAL STATIONS (even if they are not that local) and the promises of OTA improvements simply proves the point that no one much cares about them. And understands that cable = greedy f***s whose entire industry's business plan has been the least service for the most price, and their transition from linear TV providers to ISPs has not change that one bit. And that Frontier and other fly-by-nights trying to wring the last nickel out of copper means that is a dead end for ISP purposes as well. Which is why the smart money understands the massive value that remains in DirecTV, which while not the cable killing Death From Above of years past, will remain a profitable and normal part of rural (AND SUBURBAN) people's lives for decades to come.

 

[Juan]

Why did Frontier buy some of AT&T’s copper assets?

Look at who owns frontier

 

[Juan]

Look at who owns frontier

Frontier Communications ILEC Holdings - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org