Could AT&T buy Directv from Liberty?

[uncrules]

Sounds like it is possible that AT&T may buy D* from Liberty or for D* to acquire Liberty Entertainment.

Analyst Eagan Starts Coverage of Liberty Entertainment - 10/24/2008 10:32:00 AM - Multichannel News

Liberty Entertainment holds Liberty Media’s 52% stake in DirecTV, and in his report Friday Eagan was bullish on the prospects for the nation’s largest satellite provider. He called DirecTV “one of the best-positioned companies in the subscription TV space,” citing in part AT&T’s recent decision to pick DirecTV as its only satellite partner for a triple-play package.

That decision, according to Eagan, means the “probability” of AT&T acquiring DirecTV “has increased.”

In September, Liberty Media’s board approved the transformation of Liberty Entertainment from a tracking stock to an asset-based stock.

Last month, at Liberty Media’s investor day chairman John Malone downplayed the prospect that Liberty Entertainment would quickly move to increase its stake in DirecTV.

“Just because we’re spinning this to our shareholders, don’t expect some quick shotgun marriage between DirecTV and the entertainment unit,” Malone said.

With Liberty Entertainment’s stock now trading at a discount, Eagan doesn’t think it will seek to acquire the rest of DirecTV. Instead, the analyst suggested that DirecTV could try to acquire Liberty Entertainment.

In there is no Liberty Entertainment-DirecTV merger, Eagan wrote that he expected that Liberty Entertainment would sell its DirecTV stake to AT&T.

Personally I'd like to see AT&T buy D*. I don't like the way Malone has run D*. The rate new HD channels have been added since D11 went live has been too slow. The only thing D* has done right since Malone starting running things is the new partnership with Tivo.

According to some good analysis by Sixto at the other site D* can add about 23 more HD channels but for some reason D* has been very slow to add more channels than it has despite there being plenty of channels to add. The only reason I can think of is that Malone has put much tighter restrictions on the deals D* can strike with the content providers.

 

[DJ Matt]

Lets hope AT&T doesn't buy out DirecTV. For one, AT&T's HD channels are compressed and so many people have said its not as good as their previous cable or sat provider. If AT&T takes over this might happen. Besides, I hate AT&T. Their service is terrible. We were going to have their Uverse internet installed one time and they failed to show up 2 different times in 2 different days. On top of that their customer service is bad. You have to go through all these weird automated voice things and its annoying.

 

[charper1]

Whatever AT&T HD has on Uverse now, and how, will have absolutely zero bearing on DirecTV if they bought them, which I do not see happening.

 

[uncrules]

U-Verse is compressed because of the technical limitation of the U-Verse infrastructure. In order to add more HD streams they had to compress. I don't think that would necessarily mean more compression from D* if AT&T owned them. As far as customer service goes, D*'s customer service isn't great either. I hate their voice automated service and I've tried 3 different times to have them send a tech to realign my dish due to low readings on the 99/103. But they refuse to listen to me in unless I'm currently having rain fade due to the unusually low signal readings I get on 99/103. I do have the protection plan.

Then the idiots wouldn't sell me an AM21 because they offer me some of my HD locals. Also the moron on the phone thought that the AM21 wouldn't work after the digital switch over next year. I ended up buying the AM21 elsewhere online and had to pay $10 more doing so.

My point is I don't think it can get any worse and can only get better if somebody else besides Malone owns D*. A lot of people were concerned when it was announced that Liberty would be buying D*. Turns out they were right. It has been bad so far.

 

[Van]

Im another for them not buying direct, att has some very shady practices with their billing. If you'd rather have 23 hd channels of upconverted sd then thats another reason why I have no problem with the pace that they are taking right now with adding new hd content. Frankly Im tired of watching movies that are upconverted instead of filmed in hd.

 

[uncrules]

If you'd rather have 23 hd channels of upconverted sd then thats another reason why I have no problem with the pace that they are taking right now with adding new hd content.

Well the 22 HBO/Max HD channels that are out there don't show upconverted SD. They show true HD.

So do these other HD premiums that we don't get that other providers do have.

Encore HD
Showtime Showcase West HD
Showtime 2 HD West
Showtime Extreme HD West
The Movie Channel HD West
The Movie Channel Xtra HD
The Movie Channel Xtra HD West

Of these 14 other HD channels certainly they show some upconverted SD but they also have HD too.

Travel Channel HD
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
WGN America HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD
RFD HD
World Fishing Network HD
Wealth TV HD
Outdoor Channel HD
Lifetime HD
AMC HD
IFC HD
ESPNU HD
Fuse HD
Women's Entertainment HD

Certainly they show more HD than MTV HD (1 program so far) VH1 HD, CMT HD and Fuel TV have shown so far. It wouldn't bother me if D* dropped these to add some of the missing HBO/Max channels.

I don't buy that there aren't legitimate channels to add. I just listed 43 that they could add.

 

[hdtvtechno]

I love to havve At&T buy them out..

 

[Jimbo]

I love to havve At&T buy them out..

I mentioned that AT&T may buy D* about 2-3 years ago, I figured it would have happened by the end of this year originally, but things did not move as quickly as I thought they may.

Right now D* is the perfect deal for AT&T as they can now cover everyone (without LOS issues) they continue to work on getting the U Verse up and running in different areas of the country, my area is starting in November ... This way they have D* to fill in for the areas that U Verse does not reach, also for those that do not care for the U Verse product.

I think U Verse will do fine in the long run, it's still in it's infancy stages ...

I think this would be a good move for AT&T to buy them.
I do not see ANY parallel to the U Verse being compressed and D* getting compressed, entirely different situation.

Jimbo

 

[boba]

Malones history is to buy repackage and sell at a prophet. So yes AT&T could eaily be a buyer.

 

[greg47]

Customer Service

U-Verse is compressed because of the technical limitation of the U-Verse infrastructure. In order to add more HD streams they had to compress. I don't think that would necessarily mean more compression from D* if AT&T owned them. As far as customer service goes, D*'s customer service isn't great either. I hate their voice automated service and I've tried 3 different times to have them send a tech to realign my dish due to low readings on the 99/103. But they refuse to listen to me in unless I'm currently having rain fade due to the unusually low signal readings I get on 99/103. I do have the protection plan.

Then the idiots wouldn't sell me an AM21 because they offer me some of my HD locals. Also the moron on the phone thought that the AM21 wouldn't work after the digital switch over next year. I ended up buying the AM21 elsewhere online and had to pay $10 more doing so.

My point is I don't think it can get any worse and can only get better if somebody else besides Malone owns D*. A lot of people were concerned when it was announced that Liberty would be buying D*. Turns out they were right. It has been bad so far.

Have to agree with you on D*'s service it is terrible and the reason I dropped them. I cancelled my service at the end of the billing cycle and they billed me for another month. When questioned about the error they said they had no record of my call or cancellation. About a month after I cancelled I got a call from a csr rep. asking why I quit. I explained it to the csr and he said oh well there is nothing I can do to help you with that but, for a two year commitment he would send me new hd recievers. Needless to say he got told what he could do with the offer and was told not to ever call me again.

 

[charper1]

"DirecTV's service is terrible" ?

The service or the customer service? I have NEVER had any issues with the CS dept, and I would love to know where you went to get stellar customer service AND the same product..

 

[lern4483]

Direc...the best in customer service!

Have to agree with you on D*'s service it is terrible and the reason I dropped them. I cancelled my service at the end of the billing cycle and they billed me for another month. When questioned about the error they said they had no record of my call or cancellation. About a month after I cancelled I got a call from a csr rep. asking why I quit. I explained it to the csr and he said oh well there is nothing I can do to help you with that but, for a two year commitment he would send me new hd recievers. Needless to say he got told what he could do with the offer and was told not to ever call me again.

I beg to dissagree. I have Dish, Direc, Att and Starchoice.

The best customer service by far is Direc tv. Why? Anytime I have had an issue
they have not only fixed it but went beyond my expectations.

Dish-Best equipment-Abosolutely the WORST customer service. I love the equipment-hate the company!

Att: Too early to tell- They seem ok. But direc is still king.

 

[NutFlush920]

I have had DirecTV for years and plan to continue for many more.

I had Uverse installed yesterday and the DSL is great. The TV is awesome to but, I still like my DirecTV better so will cancel Uverse TV and keep the DSL.

 

[Van]

Well the 22 HBO/Max HD channels that are out there don't show upconverted SD. They show true HD.

So do these other HD premiums that we don't get that other providers do have.

Encore HD
Showtime Showcase West HD
Showtime 2 HD West
Showtime Extreme HD West
The Movie Channel HD West
The Movie Channel Xtra HD
The Movie Channel Xtra HD West

Of these 14 other HD channels certainly they show some upconverted SD but they also have HD too.

Travel Channel HD
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
WGN America HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD
RFD HD
World Fishing Network HD
Wealth TV HD
Outdoor Channel HD
Lifetime HD
AMC HD
IFC HD
ESPNU HD
Fuse HD
Women's Entertainment HD

Certainly they show more HD than MTV HD (1 program so far) VH1 HD, CMT HD and Fuel TV have shown so far. It wouldn't bother me if D* dropped these to add some of the missing HBO/Max channels.

I don't buy that there aren't legitimate channels to add. I just listed 43 that they could add.

They may true hd but how often? Thats the problem with all of the channels out there right now because they only show so much true hd and then show upconverted sd. Just because a channel provider suddenly desides its getting into the hd market and throws an "HD" signifer next to its call sign and shows one hd show every day or other day and upconverts the rest does not make it an hd channel. I dont want more hd channels what I want is more actual hd content in the channels I already have and of the above listed channels 13 of them are guilty of showing a little hd and alot of upconverted content and the others less but still just as guilty.

I cut back my hd offering today after testing out the $4.99 package and what did it for me was going through the list of movies on hdnet movies wich for the whole day was old movies upconverted. I'm also strongly considering dropping all of the hd packages and just going back to sd package because Im tired of all the upconverting.

 

[mikedz4]

Actually I'd rather see some sort of merger/buyout of directv and dish network. Att ruined tci cable and then handled a barely breathing cable company to comcast after they realized they bit off more than they can chew. They would probably do the same with directv.

 

[DJ Matt]

I'm not sure about DirecTV's customer service on the phone, but I know for a fact that AT&T is terrible. If they employ their customer service on over to DirecTV (if they buy DirecTV) then who knows what will happen. I haven't had a problem with my DirecTV service which is why I have never had to contact them.

 

[rhdj]

TCI was bought out when The Old ATT wanted in a Cable Company. That was a totally different Company vs the Telco ATT. Remember ATT tried everything....ncr, paging,wireless,long distance and cable. ALL were independent of each other. If you want to look at track records look at SBC or Southwestern Bell for that since they bought the ma bell ATT last year. SBC with Whitaker bought up ameritech,pac bell, cingular(the 40% they did not own already) as well as ATT wireless and the old ATT. I believe ATT needs a Dish or direct to be able to reach more customers. Whether is through buying one or setting up a revenue share deal like they have now. If Whitaker were at the Helm Dish or Direct would already be sold to him, but since they are under new leadership, I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[uncrules]

They may true hd but how often?

Those 29 HD premiums I listed will show true HD 90% percent of the time.

 

[randyk47]

We've been with At&T, actually started with SBC, for the five plus years we've lived in Texas and with DirecTV from 1999 when we lived in Virginia. Other than one screw up with a DirecTV CSR we've had nothing but good service from AT&T and DirecTV. Now, you want to talk about cable companies here in Texas and back in Virginia? That's a whole different set of experiences and they're not good stories. I don't have any problem with AT&T taking over DirecTV other than we're getting into these massive companies that control a significant market and I'm not sure that's good.

 

[Van]

Those 29 HD premiums I listed will show true HD 90% percent of the time.

Prove it.
And leave the hbo and friends out, I hate movie channels for extreme repition.