DOJ Wants AT&T To Sell DTV Or Turner

[CSM]

I know their was speculation about this when the deal was first announced but this makes its official because the post trial brief was unsealed today. DOJ said AT&T should sell either DTV or the Turner channels to get the deal approved.

DOJ wants Turner properties spun off if AT&T deal is approved

 

[navychop]

I’d rather the whole thing fail.

 

[Tampa8]

I can honestly say no surprise to me. I posted that was a possible condition when the merger was first announced and since.

Directv to shift away from Satellite?

I know it seems impossible they would sell off DTV but I think it may be on the table. Depends on what At&t has planned for the future. This may be just sooner than they were going to do it at some time. Either way this will be a good test, assuming the FCC is not overturned we will know how At&t sees Directv... valuable and keep it dropping Turner or keep Turner instead. Of course they could kill deal too.

 

[Jimbo]

The obvious question is, if I am AT&T and I own D*, good for me ... now I want to buy Turner ... great ... why should I have to get rid of what I already have to get something else ?

Are they gonna do the same to Charter when they do the same thing ?

I believe that AT&T is being held to a different standard than Charter at this point anyways and thats NOT right.

 

[navychop]

I would not allow ANY distributors like AT&T, Comcast, Time-Warner, Dish etc to own ANY production company. I’d allow them to develop their own programming from scratch, MAYBE, within limits. Keep the production companies separate, where they can sell to all at more or less the same prices.

 

[Pere845]

I say sell D*, Have someone who actually cares about pay TV and satellite buy it because obviously at&t's future with D* has hinted that it's a dishless one... No bueno. Better yet can this deal fail...

 

[CSM]

Could AT&T still do their own streaming service without DTV? What if the new Home Centric version of DTV launches as AT&T TV could they still have that without DTV could they have only gotten those channel contracts by having DTV? Also if they did sell DTV which company would buy it? What if Charter or Comcast bought them and then DirecTV would become Charter or Comcast over Satellite and the Genie equipment got the X1 OS or the new Charter Spectrum Guide and also got a merged channel lineup? Or DTV would become Charter or Comcast using cableTV and not SatelliteTV and they would just use SatelliteTV in the rural areas? Or maybe Dish would buy DTV and DTV would become Dish?

 

[Tampa8]

Could AT&T still do their own streaming service without DTV? What if the new Home Centric version of DTV launches as AT&T TV could they still have that without DTV could they have only gotten those channel contracts by having DTV? Also if they did sell DTV which company would buy it? What if Charter or Comcast bought them and then DirecTV would become Charter or Comcast over Satellite and the Genie equipment got the X1 OS or the new Charter Spectrum Guide and also got a merged channel lineup? Or DTV would become Charter or Comcast using cableTV and not SatelliteTV and they would just use SatelliteTV in the rural areas? Or maybe Dish would buy DTV and DTV would become Dish?

I believe none of that is out of the question. I can tell you this if some of us anticipated this At&t certainly did. We don't know if they have done any exploration into divesting DTV but I'm betting they have so they can make an informed decision how to proceed - UNLESS that isn't an option no matter what.

 

[Pere845]

Could AT&T still do their own streaming service without DTV? What if the new Home Centric version of DTV launches as AT&T TV could they still have that without DTV could they have only gotten those channel contracts by having DTV? Also if they did sell DTV which company would buy it? What if Charter or Comcast bought them and then DirecTV would become Charter or Comcast over Satellite and the Genie equipment got the X1 OS or the new Charter Spectrum Guide and also got a merged channel lineup? Or DTV would become Charter or Comcast using cableTV and not SatelliteTV and they would just use SatelliteTV in the rural areas? Or maybe Dish would buy DTV and DTV would become Dish?

if the unfortunate with pay TV happens then yes Dish should buy DirecTV because the way things are going with pay TV Satelite TV is heading in the same direction Satellite Radio was and thus why we have SiriusXM but like i said this should happen only as a last resort

 

[Jimbo]

I would not allow ANY distributors like AT&T, Comcast, Time-Warner, Dish etc to own ANY production company. I’d allow them to develop their own programming from scratch, MAYBE, within limits. Keep the production companies separate, where they can sell to all at more or less the same prices.

But thats cutting the production companies if you say they CAN'T be sold to particular people.

 

[Tampa8]

But thats cutting the production companies if you say they CAN'T be sold to particular people.

That's how media works though. Some sales are not allowed dependent on how it is perceived to affect the consumer.

 

[Jimbo]

Could AT&T still do their own streaming service without DTV? What if the new Home Centric version of DTV launches as AT&T TV could they still have that without DTV could they have only gotten those channel contracts by having DTV? Also if they did sell DTV which company would buy it? What if Charter or Comcast bought them and then DirecTV would become Charter or Comcast over Satellite and the Genie equipment got the X1 OS or the new Charter Spectrum Guide and also got a merged channel lineup? Or DTV would become Charter or Comcast using cableTV and not SatelliteTV and they would just use SatelliteTV in the rural areas? Or maybe Dish would buy DTV and DTV would become Dish?

Hows this any better for D* to be owned by Charter or Comcast ?
If as most are stating, the industry is going to Streaming, they would probably dump the Sat side of it as well.

 

[navychop]

Dish might do better by buying a few DTV assets and simply taking their customers.

Who knows, maybe DTV programmers are better. Dish has certainly not impressed ME lately with their software. They took really superb software and have done nothing but degrade it since CUI.

It’ll take years, probably, to sort out.

 

[CSM]

Hows this any better for D* to be owned by Charter or Comcast ?
If as most are stating, the industry is going to Streaming, they would probably dump the Sat side of it as well.

Stephenson said he thought the new home centric version they want to launch in the Fall was like cable TV.

 

[Radioguy41]

A choice between content that provides continued income or a satellite system with dwindling subscribers should be a fairly easy choice but it is AT&T we're talking about.

 

[Jimbo]

I say sell D*, Have someone who actually cares about pay TV and satellite buy it because obviously at&t's future with D* has hinted that it's a dishless one... No bueno. Better yet can this deal fail...

Who is going to buy it that "in your words, CARES about the Sat " ???

 

[Jimbo]

A choice between content that provides continued income or a satellite system with dwindling subscribers should be a fairly easy choice but it is AT&T we're talking about.

Dwindling Subs ?
D* is Unique ... it can work ANYWHERE in the world as long as you have LOS.

I would much rather have this than a Cable company that is only available in a certain footprint .... U Verse/Cable companies.

If they could get the cost of building the Sats down to something reasonable, it would THRIVE ...

The idea of streaming is all the rave and probably here to stay, but I never have much luck with it .... if I want to watch a particular show/episode theres a 10% chance that its available.

 

[Claude Greiner]

if the unfortunate with pay TV happens then yes Dish should buy DirecTV because the way things are going with pay TV Satelite TV is heading in the same direction Satellite Radio was and thus why we have SiriusXM but like i said this should happen only as a last resort

I will personally go to congress and testify against this deal if Dish is about purchase Directv.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I think AT&T is too invested in Directv to just sell them off.

Part of the whole reason why AT&T bought Directv was to have another product and service to sell to customers in a bundle so they can tighten their grip on that customer and stop customers from churn.

AT&T wants your cell phone business, home internet and Tv service. They want home phone also but nobody wants a home phone these days.

There will be a point where Directv doesn’t make any sense to use satellites. A few things will have to happen.

#1 AT&T must install fiber to every customer in their foot print.

#2 Directv now needs to go to an internet based set top box solution. Literally plug the genie into eithernet and not connect the satellite.

#3 enough internet providers must offer faster internet so any customers outside of the AT&T footprint can get Directv now.

#4 5g technology must be deployed, where AT&T can use Directv now technology to serve customers via the cellular network.

 

[IcEWoLF]

If anything I see att dumping Directv satellite. There is a reason they are pushing the DirecTV now, it would be easy for them to rename it to ATT Now, especially since there are no leased equipment involved. It be a win win situation since Cable/satellite is a losing battle now that consumers have so many iptv options at a fraction of the cost.
Less maintenance, less troubleshooting, don’t have to worry about workers getting on roofs to install satellites...

This may cause layoffs, but consumers in the end would win.