AT&T Should sell DIRECTV to DISH

[NYDutch]

The road our lakeside cottage is on in upstate NY didn't have cable until about 15 years ago. Before that, the road was divided by two small regional companies and there wasn't enough density on either side of the line for either company to supply service. It wasn't until TWC bought both companies that we finally got service. Prior to that our only options were OTA TV and dial-up Internet. Now we have Spectrum cable, Frontier DSL, and three cell carrier options. Our previous mountaintop home is still limited to OTA/sat TV and cell or sat Internet. It's not likely anyone will ever pay the cost to run 4 miles of cable for one house...

 

[xterra]

I'll cancel if they merge.

 

[EarDemon]

Sounds like the kind of place you might visit for some fresh air and scenery but wouldn't want to live.

Actually sounds like paradise to me. Plenty of people live their lives just fine in rural and remote areas with minimal technology. After being without power for 5 days in March of 2017, I realized how much I don't need technology in my life and how much I don't need any of this stuff. It's a hobby and an interest, but I don't need it to be happy. If I had to cut back, the cell phone would be the first to go. The digital dog leash has outlived it's usefulness with me. Right now my cell phone sits in the second row cup holder of my car, where I left it when I got home from work yesterday. Is the battery still charged? Not sure, probably. Do I have any missed calls? Don't care, do I have any missed texts? Really don't care.

Same goes for the internet, sometimes I go days without booting up my computer. When I reformatted and installed Windows 1903 on my computers two weeks ago, my laptop was turned on for the first time since a few days after Christmas.

My goal in life is to eventually leave the awful, tyrannical state of New York. West Virginia is somewhere I have been looking very hard at the past few years. As each day passes Green Bank, West Virginia looks better and better.

As some one who takes a lot of road trips, and enjoys taking day trips in rural areas, you don't have to look above at the utility poles to see if there's cable in the area, you don't have to look at your cell phone to see if you are within range of a tower. On a nice day you just have to look and see how many kids are their front yard playing or go to a restaurant and notice how many people are having real conversations with the people at their table instead of staring at a screen.

 

[VictoriaFTA]

I for one would much rather live some place with fresh air and scenery than not. Having lived in both Upstate NY and Central TN, I can definitively say they both qualify.

Not a fan of rural areas myself. Fresh air and scenery is a great way to die alone.

Rural areas are no good unless you've already found a life partner.

I'd rather get laid than stare at a tree LMAO

 

[NYDutch]

Not a fan of rural areas myself. Fresh air and scenery is a great way to die alone.

Rural areas are no good unless you've already found a life partner.

I'd rather get laid than stare at a tree LMAO

Country nightspots are no different than city nightspots for picking up women. Just usually a less pretentious clientele. And there's always "FarmersOnly.com"...

 

[EarDemon]

While there are many advantages of rural living, the #1 advantage is they don't appeal to people like you.

We like the way we live, thank you very much. None of the urban crime, none of the suburbian snobs.

 

[VictoriaFTA]

While there are many advantages of rural living, the #1 advantage is they don't appeal to people like you.

We like the way we live, thank you very much. None of the urban crime, none of the suburbian snobs.

And none of the manners, apparently.

The funny thing about living in a populated area is you actually have to learn how to get along with people.

 

[NashGuy]

I for one would much rather live some place with fresh air and scenery than not. Having lived in both Upstate NY and Central TN, I can definitively say they both qualify.

It doesn't have to be either-or, though. Plenty of nice green grass and big mature trees here in my Nashville neighborhood. And a state natural area with hiking trails close enough that I can bike to. Plus several large municipal parks in the county. Lots of great restaurants, nightlife, cultural and sporting events. Plus you can be as connected as you want with Comcast cable (gigabit) everywhere, AT&T Fiber (gigabit) in a lot of the area, and Google Fiber (gigabit) in a few spots. AT&T is also rolling out actual 5G millimeter wave mobile service here this year too (maybe already has?), although I don't really care about that.

 

[ncted]

I'd rather live in a rural area near an urban one. That way, I don't have to deal with all the downsides of urban living on a day to day basis like pollution, crowds of people, traffic etc., but the benefits are there when I need them, like healthcare, arts, shopping, etc. I come close to that with where I live, next to Army Corps land near a largish city. I'd be willing to move farther out, but I don't want a long commute to work.

 

[NashGuy]

I'd rather live in a rural area near an urban one. That way, I don't have to deal with all the downsides of urban living on a day to day basis like pollution, crowds of people, traffic etc., but the benefits are there when I need them, like healthcare, arts, shopping, etc. I come close to that with where I live, next to Army Corps land near a largish city. I'd be willing to move farther out, but I don't want a long commute to work.

Yeah, that's the thing about being in the exurbs (areas that look and feel rural but are kinda near metro areas) -- you tend to have a long commute back and forth from work. Or shopping. Or non-fast food restaurants.

It's all a matter of trade-offs.

 

[NashGuy]

Anyhoo, getting back to the actual topic of the thread: the proposed merger of DTV and DISH. I saw someone post the following on another site and got a good belly laugh out of it.

"This is like 2 typewriter manufacturers merging in 1979."

 

[Juan]

The internet is overrated..it causes more problems than it solves...I wish the good ole days of 3 channel OTA was all there was...people actually communicated with each other and enjoyed out door activities..no such thing as social media..and you could a cheap local newspaper with well written and researched articles to get your news

I'd rather live in a rural area near an urban one. That way, I don't have to deal with all the downsides of urban living on a day to day basis like pollution, crowds of people, traffic etc., but the benefits are there when I need them, like healthcare, arts, shopping, etc. I come close to that with where I live, next to Army Corps land near a largish city. I'd be willing to move farther out, but I don't want a long commute to work.

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[ncted]

The internet is overrated..it causes more problems than it solves...I wish the good ole days of 3 channel OTA was all there was...people actually communicated with each other and enjoyed out door activities..no such thing as social media..and you could a cheap local newspaper with well written and researched articles to get your news

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

Some things are a lot better, others are clearly a lot worse, or seem so to my Gen X eyes. I don't do social media outside of this and a couple of other forums. It was killing my quality of life.

 

[Andrew Sullivan]

Hate to hijack this scintillating rural discussion but there is no chance in the world tha Dish and DirecTV will ever ever merge. Zero chance.

 

[ncted]

Hate to hijack this scintillating rural discussion but there is no chance in the world tha Dish and DirecTV will ever ever merge. Zero chance.

I gave you a like because you used "scintillating."

 

[Tampa8]

Hate to hijack this scintillating rural discussion but there is no chance in the world tha Dish and DirecTV will ever ever merge. Zero chance.

If you think At&t will never shed Directv then of course you are right. Otherwise I would not bet it can't happen. Do you know how many posts in forums and national stories said XM would never ever, not in a million years merge with Sirius? Then when it appeared it would happen no way they will last, two weak companies will make one weak company. Exactly the opposite of all that has transpired.

A huge intricate study by the NAB on why Sirius and XM won't and can't merge. Nearly every conclusion they made was exactly wrong.
III. The Proposed Transaction Will Substantially Harm Competition
"The proposed transaction will not create pro-competitive efficiencies that are likely to offset the severe competitive harm that is certain to result. The merging parties have been touting certain cost saving and consumer benefits in an attempt to secure regulatory approval of the deal, such as: a “much stronger programming lineup,” a lower cost structure based on the elimination of overlapping facilities and personnel, and accelerated “development and commercial introduction of radios allowing consumers access to a full range of programming offered by XM and SIRIUS today.”28 It is true that, in transactions that may present some degree of competitive harm, the agencies will consider potential efficiencies to determine whether, on balance, the transaction can be considered procompetitive.29 However, even the greatest efficiencies are rarely (if ever) enough to justify a merger that threatens serious competitive harm. According to the Merger Guidelines, “[e]fficiencies almost never justify a merger to monopoly or near-monopoly.”30"
https://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pdfs/XMSIRI_Crowell_memo.pdf


XM-Sirius merger a bad idea
"The Federal Communications Commission won't likely allow a merger between the satellite radio media companies. As well it shouldn't."

What's The Deal With The XM-Sirius Merger?
"But first, last night the Federal Communications Commission gave the world's only satellite radio companies permission to do something they said they'd never do, and that's merge."
"This merger might give a boost to XM and Sirius in the short term but ultimately, I agree with those analysts who say you've got two weak companies combining into what may be one weak company."

 

[Andrew Sullivan]

You can't compare the Sirus/XM merger to a possible Directv/Dish merger. Other than the fact that they are all four in the media delivery category the main difference is in the logistical differences. DirecTV and Dish cannot directly use each others satellites. The on site equipment (dishes, dvr's, remotes, etc)is not compatable. Plus DirecTV/ATT is not vested in growing the satellite end of the business. As they move into the 5g arena ATT will concentrate on the streaming end of their business. When Sirus and XM merged it was a growing profitable endeavor while satellite TV is a dying and becoming a less profitable endeavor. In 5 years the satellite business as we know it will be a shell of itself. A dinosaur relegated to the "once upon a time" scape heap.

 

[Juan]

Xm and sirius still cant directly use each others satellites..traditional pay tv is dying..a merger could be the only way they survive

You can't compare the Sirus/XM merger to a possible Directv/Dish merger. Other than the fact that they are all four in the media delivery category the main difference is in the logistical differences. DirecTV and Dish cannot directly use each others satellites. The on site equipment (dishes, dvr's, remotes, etc)is not compatable. Plus DirecTV/ATT is not vested in growing the satellite end of the business. As they move into the 5g arena ATT will concentrate on the streaming end of their business. When Sirus and XM merged it was a growing profitable endeavor while satellite TV is a dying and becoming a less profitable endeavor. In 5 years the satellite business as we know it will be a shell of itself. A dinosaur relegated to the "once upon a time" scape heap.

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[NashGuy]

For DirecTV and Dish, It May Be Now or Never

 

[NashGuy]

AT&T's next quarterly earnings call is July 24. Credit Suisse is expecting that DTV and DISH combined will lose over 1 million subs in this year's 2Q, which would be even worse than their epically bad 1Q, when AT&T lost 627k TV subs (across all lines) while DISH lost 259k. If that prediction holds true, expect the Wall Street drumbeat for a merger to get louder.

We may also see AT&T make a break from the DTV branding in 3Q when they unveil their new streaming cable TV service, which the CEO has called their "satellite replacement product". I expect it to be named AT&T TV rather than retain some form of DirecTV branding, although that's just my hunch. But if that happens, and AT&T makes it clear that this new thing is what they see as their default, mainstream cable TV service going forward, rather than DTV satellite (a perception that would only be underscored by not using the DirecTV brand in its name), then that's only going to feed the view among investors that DTV satellite is AT&T's past, not its future. Which could further grease the skids for a DTV satellite spin-off in 2020...