DIRECTV Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Results

[DS0816]

Years ago there were rumors one of the two minidish companies would buy the other. I wonder, just a little, whether that's coming around the corner again. DirecTV could use some of Dish Network's programming, and vice verse.

 

[DodgerKing]

If it does, I hope it is not Dish that buys Direct. There is a reason why Direct has more subs than Dish and why Direct grows each quarter and Dish losses more subs each quarter. Like Sirius and XM, I think it would have been better for Sirius to be bought by XM as XM was a much better run company with more subs and a faster growth rate than Sirius.

The last thing I want is channel losses each month due to contract disputes, my local RSNs to go part-time, and sports packages to disappear. Which will probably happen if Charlie ran DirecTV. Look at what happened to XM. The channels switched to Sirius channels which had a small library and more DJ talk, the signal strength decreased to Sirius levels with fewer ground transmitters, the number of stations decreased, and they started charging for on-line access (which was always free under XM).

 

[harshness]

Years ago there were rumors one of the two minidish companies would buy the other. I wonder, just a little, whether that's coming around the corner again.

Doesn't seem to be any more likely now that it was just a few short years ago. The SiriusXM merger showed that it didn't improve much of anything for the customers or the people who manufacture or sell the receivers and associated equipment.

DirecTV could use some of Dish Network's programming, and vice verse.

DISH Network doesn't produce any notable programming themselves so if there's something DISH carries and DIRECTV doesn't, it is almost certainly by DIRECTV's choice.

DIRECTV can negotiate if they want to. If they aren't making carriage deals it is likely because they don't want to, not because they can't. It also doesn't do any good to make deals if you don't have the bandwidth to put them online.

 

[Aridon]

If any of these companies gets bought it won't be by the other one. If anything Dish may get bought by a Telcom like AT&T who needs wireless bandwidth and a TV presence for bundling.

You could also see Dish pick up Tmobile to compliment the bandwidth they already own.