Should at&t sell DIRECT?
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Ironic coming from Yahoo that had to be bailed out by Verizon, another company that should have been left to die.
The only option is make DTV independent. I don't know who would buy or be allowed to buy it.
They'd take a huge loss on it. Taking a $10 or $20 billion writedown (depending on what it is valued at now, but as with all acquisitions they paid a significant premium over what it was really worth) on a 2-3 year old acquisition isn't going to make investors any happier than AT&T's huge debt load does.
They also lose the scale for their streaming products which is supposedly one of the reasons they bought it. They didn't buy Directv because they couldn't figure out how to create a streaming product on their own, and until they have at least 50% more streaming subscribers than they have satellite subscribers, spinning off the satellite unit would hurt their negotiating position when they have to re-up with everyone from Disney to Sinclair. At that point it might not hurt them from a negotiating position but it would be too late to get much value out of it - the satellite business might not cost much to run at that point but it wouldn't have much long term value since the date the satellites start wearing out will always be hanging over it.
They also lose the scale for their streaming products which is supposedly one of the reasons they bought it. They didn't buy Directv because they couldn't figure out how to create a streaming product on their own, and until they have at least 50% more streaming subscribers than they have satellite subscribers, spinning off the satellite unit would hurt their negotiating position when they have to re-up with everyone from Disney to Sinclair. At that point it might not hurt them from a negotiating position but it would be too late to get much value out of it - the satellite business might not cost much to run at that point but it wouldn't have much long term value since the date the satellites start wearing out will always be hanging over it.
I think they bought Directv to increase sales of "packaged" services.
Then, a couple years later, the suits had another bright idea, changed direction, and decided to become streamer and content provider (Warner).
Now, Directv is in a kind of no mans land where it looks like it will drift along with minimal capital investment forecast for the next decade or so while they milk whatever cash flow it it generating and use that cash to support their other business products.
Then, a couple years later, the suits had another bright idea, changed direction, and decided to become streamer and content provider (Warner).
Now, Directv is in a kind of no mans land where it looks like it will drift along with minimal capital investment forecast for the next decade or so while they milk whatever cash flow it it generating and use that cash to support their other business products.
I think their overall strategy is pretty obvious - they want to be a vertical player who are the biggest or one of the biggest in all dimensions which offers the connectivity (wired and both mobile & fixed wireless to cover all bases) the TV (satellite plus several tiers of streaming options to cover all bases) and own a lot of content (the TW purchase so they are one of the "big six" in the content space) so they can compete against anyone from Verizon to Comcast to Netflix to Disney.
Whether they can make it all the pieces work together, and keep the company from blowing up under the debt load before that happens, remains to be seen. Grand ambitions tend to be an all or nothing proposition.
Whether they can make it all the pieces work together, and keep the company from blowing up under the debt load before that happens, remains to be seen. Grand ambitions tend to be an all or nothing proposition.
Dish has put their debt money in spectrum.
So there is no money available for a satellite deal.
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There were failed attempts in 2001 and 2014 for mergers of the 2 companies, so you can never say never.
A merger wouldn’t be that bad if it was Directv taking over Dish and getting rid of Charlie and all the upper management in Denver.
That would be one hell of a dish
99/101/103/110/119/129 plus all the reverse band stuff.
Better get some 4K channels and all the local sub channels
That would be one hell of a dish
99/101/103/110/119/129 plus all the reverse band stuff.
Better get some 4K channels and all the local sub channels
In the very unlikely event they did merge they would never build a "receives everything" dish.
Corrrect ...
many of those channels are on both providers, I would see them moving most to what D* has ... for starters.
They would use whatever is cost effective allowing for maximum profit
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