William (Bill) Mobley’s Post

Wild to see the DIRECTV and DISH Network merger finally announced after years of talks. DIRECTV has lost roughly half its subscribers in the past decade. The Pay TV business is not coming back in the traditional form and even the growth in virtual providers such as YouTube TV will only make up for a small fraction of the losses. I spent 6 years at DIRECTV and my role involved spending a lot of time analyzing the competitive environment. In today's on demand world, the old fashioned TV bundle doesn't work for most consumers. The only ones it really appeals to are sports fans but now with sports content, even NFL content, "leaking" out to Prime Video, Apple, Peacock etc, the melting is accelerating. The traditional customer base is dying off. This merger will buy additional time but will not change the end of the story. Not only are the Pay TV providers (DIRECTV, Comcast, Charter) affected, but this is a prime driver behind the layoffs we are seeing at Disney, Paramount etc. https://lnkd.in/g4RFwCbC

DirecTV unveiled plans Monday to buy Dish Network, bringing together two satellite TV rivals at a time when both are rapidly losing market share to streaming platforms. Under the terms of the deal, DirectTV will pay a nominal consideration of $1 and assume billions of dollars in debt held by Dish owner EchoStar. The deal also would transfer majority ownership of DirectTV from AT&T to the private equity firm TPG Capital, which took a 30 percent stake in 2021. The two companies said the deal will improve the viability of satellite television by allowing them to potentially cut at least $1 billion in costs and deliver lower prices for consumers. #USA #DirecTV #plans #to #buy #Dish #Network #as #they #are #both #losing #market #share #to #streaming #platforms

👀 DIRECTV expands In a major industry move, DirecTV announced its acquisition of EchoStar's Video Distribution business, which includes Dish TV and Sling TV. Reports suggest the deal involved DirecTV paying $1.00 and assuming $9.75 billion in debt. The merger creates the largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., with over 18 million subscribers, surpassing Comcast and Charter. Analysts believe government approval is likely due to the evolving media landscape. #DirecTV's CEO, Bill Morrow, sees this as a key step to enhance content delivery and operational efficiency, while EchoStar focuses on strengthening its 5G network. The move comes as both companies face subscriber losses and increased competition from streaming services

DIRECTV has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EchoStar Corporation’s video distribution business, including DISH Network and Sling TV, through a debt exchange transaction. This strategic move will create one of the largest pay-TV distributors in the U.S., offering consumers more video options and enhancing competition in a market dominated by streaming services from large tech companies and programmers. In connection with the deal, TPG will acquire the 70% stake in DIRECTV that it does not already own from AT&T.   LionTree is proud to have served as financial advisor to DIRECTV and TPG in this transformative transaction that demonstrates the ongoing, dynamic evolution taking place across the media business, where decisive moves can unlock significant opportunities to capture value and drive growth. https://lnkd.in/eFv3kAGJ

Big news in the pay TV world: DIRECTV is acquiring DISH Network and Sling TV. This merger brings together major players in the industry, with the combined buying power to negotiate better deals on programming. What does this mean for consumers? More flexible, customized packages that align with your viewing preferences—and potentially better pricing. Beyond programming, the merger strengthens satellite infrastructure through Dish’s connection with EchoStar Corporation. This strategic satellite angle allows the combined company to maintain robust content delivery options via satellite while continuing to enhance the viewer experience across traditional TV and streaming platforms. Subscribers will benefit from easier access to their favorite shows and simpler subscription management, all in one place. #mediaandentertainment #satellite #streaming #customerexperience #mergerandacquisition #directtv #media

Here we go. DirecTV acquires Dish. Big Tech software now becomes the play, regardless of what everyone "thinks". Consumers are frustrated, streaming devices for most part suck, stocks uneasy, and media jobs dropping like flies unnecessarily. This is easy to Fix Hollywood, whats not easy is the walled garden egos standing in the way of 50%+ profits everyday versus massive losses. Integretion or Assemilation...ask Bell Telephone. #NextGenStreaming #FreeCast #NoMoreAppDiving https://lnkd.in/eBPdUfwe

The DirecTV-Dish merger was inevitable. And I’d argue it’s 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒. Think about it. For years, these legacy media companies competed with each other, apparently oblivious to the seismic shift happening in the industry. While they battled for satellite subscribers, platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, AppleTV+, and heck, even Hulu created a new media landscape.  Today, big tech dominates across the board. The streamers have: • Created data-driven entertainment platforms to drive personalization • Invested $20B/year + in award-winning scripted content   • Outbid legacy media for live sports broadcasting rights • Delivered a superior TV UX with a lighter ad load So while DirecTV’s acquisition of Dish is being branded as the creation of ‘America’s largest pay TV provider,’ there’s a reason this deal isn’t getting challenged on antitrust grounds. Legacy media is hemorrhaging market share. And mergers like this are merely a form of life support. The real question is, how long can they hold on?

DIRECTV has agreed to acquire EchoStar Corporation’s satellite television business, including Dish TV, marking the culmination of years of intermittent negotiations between the two companies.The combined entity will serve around 20 million subscribers, positioning itself as one of the largest players in the rapidly changing pay-TV landscape... #antitrust #antitrustlaw #competitionlaw #paytv #entertainment #mergersacquisitions #negotiations

"Solidarity for a Skinny bundle " DirecTV and Dish Network, US satellite broadcasters, have joined forces to survive. Now there will be a satellite TV in the US with 1.8 million subscribers But the reason for the consolidation is rather sad. It's an economies of scale configuration to combat the demands of content providers (Disney, Warner, Paramount) with streaming services to increase royalties for their programs. At the same time, the logic of the consolidation is that the combined satellite TVs will offer a cheaper product(skinny bundle), not a more expensive one. The idea is to capture some of the customers who have flocked to streaming by offering cheaper plans. While the FCC and FTC will review consolidation, it is unlikely that they will stop operators from offering cheaper (skinny bundles) in the face of streaming. https://lnkd.in/g23-gKQX

**DirecTV and Dish Unite to Challenge Streaming Giants** 📺 AT&T divests itself from DirecTV to focus on 5G and fiber connectivity. 🤝 DirecTV acquires Dish TV to bolster its position in the streaming-dominated market. 🚀 The merger aims for content, distribution, and cost optimization to cater to changing viewer preferences. As traditional TV subscriptions decline, satellite giants adapt to compete in the digital age. Discover how this industry transformation unfolds by reading more here: https://lnkd.in/d4u8VWKM