Directv is imploding and is trying to take Dish down with them.

[Claude Greiner]

We had a dealer meeting the other day and it was all about wireless.

When AT&T first took over Directv all the dealers where asking when we could sell cellular phones. We where told originally told NO, and a few months later they said we could sell AT&T prepaid phones.

The last several months, there has been this big push for us to sell wireless cell phones. We where actually told in the meeting that our priorities should be AT&T post paid cell phones, AT&T internet and Directv.

For the first time ever we where told selling video was NOT a priority.

If you add that together, we are now expected to attach a cell phone sale to 30% of our video sales, it’s expected we attach internet to 40% of our video sales. In addition to that, they want to advertise the Select package for $35, but we are expected to sell choice and above.

I try to ask every Directv customer who they have for their cell phone service, and the second I try to even mention AT&T, the customer either has a cell phone through AT&T or absolutely wants nothing to do with them.

We try to sell internet. The customers who are in an area that has Fiber, either wants the cheapest and slowest plan available or doesn’t want internet at all.

I have only sold 2 Gig Fiber internet plans, where as I have sold thousands of Comcast and spectrum internet only account.

Then the ones who want AT&T internet, either don’t live in an area they service, or the speeds are so slow (768 kbps/ 1.5 meg) I won’t even bother to offer it to the customer.

But then let’s talk about the HBO situation. We all know Charlie Ergen is cheap when it comes to negotiations, but I think imposing a minimum subscriber count isn’t fair either when it’s a proven fact that the entire satellite industry is bleeding subscribers left and right.

Less and less customers are subscribing to the premium movie channels these days. It’s honestly been a few months since I had a customer specifically request HBO.

I think the minimum subscriber requirement is in bad faith and I think AT&T is abandoning 2.5 million HBO subscribers with Dish in hopes they will either get those numbers back with an online subscription or through another provider.

Think about it. If a customer can get HBO online for $15, and the wholesale rate that Dish pays is likely half that, they will easily make up for the lost revenue from online subscriptions, New Directv customers, and customers who switched providers.

This is nothing more than a kid who got kicked out of the sandbox and came to take back all his or her toys.

Because AT&T is loosing video customers in general, they are trying to take Dish down with them. Granted Dish has been going to crap for years, this is just an attempt to speed up the process.

Then we have this whole issue with satellites going away. That’s just the biggest shocker of them all, which means that Directv is no longer on a path of growth, but rather try to retain their current subscriber base and slowly transition everyone over to IPTV.

I don’t know what to think. Maybe it’s best if AT&T sold Directv to someone who cared, and go back to selling cell phones and internet service.

 

[satjay]

I would agree with you on AT&T for internet, as you mentioned as much as I would like to drop Comcast for my internet and give at&t a try I can’t as they have nothing speed wise in the metro area in Michigan. I am not sure how they want to compete in the internet side of things when they can’t offer high speed, not much of a great bundle

 

[Tampa8]

As you mention they simply do not want DISH to have HBO and in fact I believe in the end they want to be the only one with it, along with the stand alone online option. Beyond that with their recent personnel move I am starting to doubt they want HBO as it is now constituted, I am not sure they want to compete head to head with Amazon and Netflix for original programming.
We already knew and it didn't take much tea leaf reading to see At&t has no long term plan to keep a satellite service they want to transition to wireless delivered programming and at least for now by Cable. Their CEO pretty much said so very early on and was talked about in the Directv forum and I believe in the DISH forum also.

We need a satellite service in this Country so I hope DISH holds on and as Directv stumbles maybe they can grow some and remain competitive.

 

[nelson61]

We had a dealer meeting the other day and it was all about wireless.

When AT&T first took over Directv all the dealers where asking when we could sell cellular phones. We where told originally told NO, and a few months later they said we could sell AT&T prepaid phones.

The last several months, there has been this big push for us to sell wireless cell phones. We where actually told in the meeting that our priorities should be AT&T post paid cell phones, AT&T internet and Directv.

For the first time ever we where told selling video was NOT a priority.

If you add that together, we are now expected to attach a cell phone sale to 30% of our video sales, it’s expected we attach internet to 40% of our video sales. In addition to that, they want to advertise the Select package for $35, but we are expected to sell choice and above.

I try to ask every Directv customer who they have for their cell phone service, and the second I try to even mention AT&T, the customer either has a cell phone through AT&T or absolutely wants nothing to do with them.

We try to sell internet. The customers who are in an area that has Fiber, either wants the cheapest and slowest plan available or doesn’t want internet at all.

I have only sold 2 Gig Fiber internet plans, where as I have sold thousands of Comcast and spectrum internet only account.

Then the ones who want AT&T internet, either don’t live in an area they service, or the speeds are so slow (768 kbps/ 1.5 meg) I won’t even bother to offer it to the customer.

But then let’s talk about the HBO situation. We all know Charlie Ergen is cheap when it comes to negotiations, but I think imposing a minimum subscriber count isn’t fair either when it’s a proven fact that the entire satellite industry is bleeding subscribers left and right.

Less and less customers are subscribing to the premium movie channels these days. It’s honestly been a few months since I had a customer specifically request HBO.

I think the minimum subscriber requirement is in bad faith and I think AT&T is abandoning 2.5 million HBO subscribers with Dish in hopes they will either get those numbers back with an online subscription or through another provider.

Think about it. If a customer can get HBO online for $15, and the wholesale rate that Dish pays is likely half that, they will easily make up for the lost revenue from online subscriptions, New Directv customers, and customers who switched providers.

This is nothing more than a kid who got kicked out of the sandbox and came to take back all his or her toys.

Because AT&T is loosing video customers in general, they are trying to take Dish down with them. Granted Dish has been going to crap for years, this is just an attempt to speed up the process.

Then we have this whole issue with satellites going away. That’s just the biggest shocker of them all, which means that Directv is no longer on a path of growth, but rather try to retain their current subscriber base and slowly transition everyone over to IPTV.

I don’t know what to think. Maybe it’s best if AT&T sold Directv to someone who cared, and go back to selling cell phones and internet service.

Get your retirement plan fully funded, you may need it!!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[NYDutch]

With all the doom and gloom about DTV and Dish, I wonder what niche Orby sees themselves fitting into that they expect will grow.

 

[navychop]

Probably the no sports limited channels market.


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[nelson61]

I have trouble understanding . Between them, they still have about 30 million satellite customers.

I stream but the guide systems stink so I went back and kept both.

Then I read here how they have to pry old receivers out of customer houses..

I'm thinking 70-80 percent will stick with what they have until they die if left alone

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Soccernut]

They are killing DIRECTV now they are going to do the same with HBO, two companies responsible for legitimizing the satellite industry.
Typical business crooks, CEO, his board and bankers come in with tons of banks and investors money run the companies into the ground and walk away with trucks of practically stolen cash and retire to the Bahamas, leaving be hide a waste land of people broke and unemployed.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Get your retirement plan fully funded, you may need it!!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

I do. It’s called selling Comcast and spectrum

 

[IcEWoLF]

I have Spectrum Gig in my area, had 300mbps for the longest, it’s been 3 years and ATT only offers up to 25mbps server where I live, screw their slow **** speeds. They keep sending me junk mail on a weekly basis offering me $$$ for a lower quality product, hell for the same price the standard speed is well over 100mbps with spectrum.

Some areas only get 45mbps, I think att has quit competing with spectrum in my area since everyone on these parts pretty much uses spectrum.
The only saving grace for att is to expand fiber, but that’s only limited to very few communities that have been built over the last year or so.

 

[Claude Greiner]

We where told the other day by AT&T that you only need 3 meg for streaming HD a 12 meg for 4K.

Then they tried telling us they had Comcast beat because they where offering a dedicated connection and our bandwidth was not shared with the rest of the neighborhood. AT&T does not “slow” down when everyone else is on it.

First of all the cable providers have not had that issue for years. Also I’ll take my 150 meg shared Comcast connection over a dedicated 12 or possibly 50 meg U-verse AT&T connection why day.

Btw, Last time I checked 4K required atleast 25 megs.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I have Spectrum Gig in my area, had 300mbps for the longest, it’s been 3 years and ATT only offers up to 25mbps server where I live, screw their slow **** speeds. They keep sending me junk mail on a weekly basis offering me $$$ for a lower quality product, hell for the same price the standard speed is well over 100mbps with spectrum.

Some areas only get 45mbps, I think att has quit competing with spectrum in my area since everyone on these parts pretty much uses spectrum.
The only saving grace for att is to expand fiber, but that’s only limited to very few communities that have been built over the last year or so.

They are expanding the fiber in areas that don’t need fiber.

At my house I can get gig speeds through Comcast, Wow and AT&T.

Before the fiber upgrade I could get 50 megs on AT&T.

Granted I get competition, but why build out my neighborhood where they could focus on the areas that their internet speeds are a joke.

The cable companies are blowing them away!

 

[mdram]

i tried to get att wireless internet, but it wasnt in my area
then vzw started a plan, so i go that

they need to open that plan up, and maybe some of the rural directv customers would buy it

 

[larry55]

I had a D technician out last week . In a about 15 minutes a A&T sale person drove up and try to get me to change over to their wireless phone service. I ask the tech were the sale peoples follow them to service call he said yes.

 

[Jimbo]

I had a D technician out last week . In a about 15 minutes a A&T sale person drove up and try to get me to change over to their wireless phone service. I ask the tech were the sale peoples follow them to service call he said yes.

Yup ... they go out to any Install I do ... IF they don't already have ATT service.
They are actually a 3rd party.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I had a D technician out last week . In a about 15 minutes a A&T sale person drove up and try to get me to change over to their wireless phone service. I ask the tech were the sale peoples follow them to service call he said yes.

Yes that’s another thing that’s been irritating the dealers.

They are sending people behind us to basically clean up our sales and sell additional products and services.

 

[Jimbo]

The Thread title says that D* is trying to take down DISH ... thats highly unlikely and don't see how someone is thinking that ...
If ATT (Sat) goes down, it has nothing to do with DISH ...
They may be holding up HBO at the moment, but if HBO is keeping DISH afloat, they are a lot worse off than thought.

 

[EarDemon]

The independent retailer that I got my HughesNet from a couple years ago is also a Dish, DirecTV and ViaSat retailer. When I went to his shop to check out HughesNet before I signed up he was in the middle of unpacking all of the sales literature and demo phones for the AT&T prepaid stuff. I asked if he was branching out to cell phones and he just looked at me a laughed. He is located in a very rural portion of Southern NY and most of his customer base is rural and remote in Southern NY and Northern PA, he said AT&Ts service is the pits. Verizon is king as far as reception goes and in many less remote areas T-Mobile is now equal to or better than AT&T, especially is smaller villages.

When he came to do the install for Hughes his wife called him while he was activating my modem. I made a comment about being surprised he was able to get the call, especially while in the house, since cell phone reception is so poor in my area. He said it was fading in and out be he could make out what she was saying then he made a comment that if she called his AT&T phone it would have probably went straight to voicemail. Then he took his AT&T phone out of his pocket and said ‘yep, no service’. He told me typically he just leaves the AT&T phone in his truck as it’s pretty much useless to him.

AT&T is not a wireline provider in my area or anywhere within several hundred miles of here, Verizon owns most of the Northeastern US. AT&T Mobility’s coverage is severely lacking when compared to Verizon Wireless and to some extent even T-Mobile. I said this before, If AT&Ts whole plan is to use DirecTV to coerce subscribers into subscribing to more of there services, that is not going to work in my neck of the woods or a lot of other place too I would imagine. AT&T has no legacy services like POTS or DSL and no residential fiber anywhere near here and their wireless service is mediocre at best. Most people I know with AT&T Mobility are Apple lovers who have been with them since their exclusivity on the iPhone and have never bother to switch to another carrier.

A couple years ago at work one of my main motivations for bringing in a secondary data circuit for guest use was AT&Ts non-existent service. Between various vendors stopping by, customer training classes we hold and customer demos and open houses we see a decent amount of non-employees where I work coming in from all over the country. It seems like AT&T has a huge corporate presence and just about every time we had a large amount of outside guests the sales managers would complain to me that their guests can't make phone calls or get email, I would ask is the person on AT&T and the answer 100% of them time was Yes. So after getting approval I ordered a business class cable modem connection and installed a few WAPs in the area's guests are most likely to congregate. AT&T should get a commission from Charter for a sale

 

[Claude Greiner]

The independent retailer that I got my HughesNet from a couple years ago is also a Dish, DirecTV and ViaSat retailer. When I went to his shop to check out HughesNet before I signed up he was in the middle of unpacking all of the sales literature and demo phones for the AT&T prepaid stuff. I asked if he was branching out to cell phones and he just looked at me a laughed. He is located in a very rural portion of Southern NY and most of his customer base is rural and remote in Southern NY and Northern PA, he said AT&Ts service is the pits. Verizon is king as far as reception goes and in many less remote areas T-Mobile is now equal to or better than AT&T, especially is smaller villages.

When he came to do the install for Hughes his wife called him while he was activating my modem. I made a comment about being surprised he was able to get the call, especially while in the house, since cell phone reception is so poor in my area. He said it was fading in and out be he could make out what she was saying then he made a comment that if she called his AT&T phone it would have probably went straight to voicemail. Then he took his AT&T phone out of his pocket and said ‘yep, no service’. He told me typically he just leaves the AT&T phone in his truck as it’s pretty much useless to him.

AT&T is not a wireline provider in my area or anywhere within several hundred miles of here, Verizon owns most of the Northeastern US. AT&T Mobility’s coverage is severely lacking when compared to Verizon Wireless and to some extent even T-Mobile. I said this before, If AT&Ts whole plan is to use DirecTV to coerce subscribers into subscribing to more of there services, that is not going to work in my neck of the woods or a lot of other place too I would imagine. AT&T has no legacy services like POTS or DSL and no residential fiber anywhere near here and their wireless service is mediocre at best. Most people I know with AT&T Mobility are Apple lovers who have been with them since their exclusivity on the iPhone and have never bother to switch to another carrier.

A couple years ago at work one of my main motivations for bringing in a secondary data circuit for guest use was AT&Ts non-existent service. Between various vendors stopping by, customer training classes we hold and customer demos and open houses we see a decent amount of non-employees where I work coming in from all over the country. It seems like AT&T has a huge corporate presence and just about every time we had a large amount of outside guests the sales managers would complain to me that their guests can't make phone calls or get email, I would ask is the person on AT&T and the answer 100% of them time was Yes. So after getting approval I ordered a business class cable modem connection and installed a few WAPs in the area's guests are most likely to congregate. AT&T should get a commission from Charter for a sale

Your 100% right.

They showed us some slides last year showing the number of AT&T wireless customers, AT&T internet only customers, Directv and U-verse customers.

Then they had some graph or comparison showing how many of those customers subscribed to multiple AT&T services and the numbers where low.

They said there are enough existing customers that only had 1 product that we could easily sell additional products to.

AT&T expects to sell the customer a cell phone, Directv for their Tv and internet if it’s available.

As far as AT&T wireless I had them for my first iPhone. As soon as Verizon had the iPhone I dumped them and paid the cancellation fee.

As a dealer, we get 58% off most AT&T plans. I refuse to do it and I’m sticking with Verizon.

We pay $200 for 80 Gigs, plus $15 per smart phone and have 25 lines on a business account.

Granted no unlimited data, but it works and we stay under when it comes to usage.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The Thread title says that D* is trying to take down DISH ... thats highly unlikely and don't see how someone is thinking that ...
If ATT (Sat) goes down, it has nothing to do with DISH ...
They may be holding up HBO at the moment, but if HBO is keeping DISH afloat, they are a lot worse off than thought.

HBO is the point. It’s costing Dish subscribers.

It won’t run them out of business, but it’s not helping things