DIRECTV buys DISH | Allconnect

DIRECTV recently agreed to purchase EchoStar’s DISH TV and Sling TV, paying $1 for the transaction and assuming nearly $10 billion in debt.

The combination of DIRECTV and DISH is years in the making, with both companies desiring this outcome. With the consumer shift to cheaper streaming services, the video services have struggled, reporting:

DIRECTV and DISH lost 63% of their satellite customers since 2016
Traditional pay-TV penetration in U.S. households is now less than 50%

“DIRECTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” said DIRECTV CEO Bill Morrow.

“With greater scale, we expect a combined DIRECTV and DISH will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

Customers of the three companies most likely will not see many changes until later next year. The purchase must meet regulatory approvals and isn’t expected to be completed until the fourth quarter of 2025.

EchoStar also owns Boost Mobile and Hughesnet.

AT&T bought DIRECTV in 2015 and eventually sold off a percentage to a private equity firm, TPG, in 2021. The Associated Press reported that “Shortly before DirecTV made its announcement, AT&T said it was selling its remaining stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG in a deal valued at about $7.6 billion.”

Written by:

Robin Layton

Senior Editor, Broadband Content

Robin Layton is a Senior Editor for Allconnect, dedicated to helping consumers navigate the often-complex world of internet service providers. With 30 years of experience in journalism and marketing, Robin empow… Read more

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Anine Sus

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