DTV and Dish Network Discuss Merger Talks Again

[alnielsen]

As part of the deal, AT&T, which owns a 70 percent stake in DirecTV has agreed to sell its shares to TPG, a private equity firm that owns the remaining 30 percent of the company, for $7.6 billion.

For more: DirectTV Will Buy Dish and Sling TV for $1 and a Bunch of Debt

 

[b4pjoe]

At&t will have ownership of DTV.

DTV should have a contract for it with At&t/WBD, so that should survive at least until end of next year

The person had asked about Warner media which neither DIRECTV or AT&T owns.

 

[slice1900]

Officially announced this morning. Will Lina Kahn allow it?

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/30/att-sells-70percent-stake-in-directv-to-tpg-for-7point6-billion.html

The feds aren't going to stop it. Back when it was all cable and satellite two big satellite companies merging would never be allowed. Now that cable and especially satellite are dying and streaming is replacing them they won't stand in the way. If they didn't allow it Dish would likely declare bankruptcy and it would be the same situation with only one satellite company, except that millions of Dish customers could be left scrambling.

I mean, Directv bought Dish for $1 + plus assumption of debt, so it isn't like they were going to find another buyer and the debtors sure wouldn't want to try to run them. Lina Kahn will wave this through. Maybe there will be some token conditions applied to prevent Directv abusing their "monopoly" on satellite TV. Some wishy washy language about not raising prices any faster than they'd been raised in the previous few years, or maybe Directv will promise to hold prices firm for two years (maybe that's the reason they were doing an early price increase this fall instead of the usual January timeframe)