Is Verizon Looking at a DISH Purchase?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Seeking Alpha is reporting that DISH has had talks with Verizon.

Report: Verizon has held talks with Dish • 2:35 PM

• Sources tell dealReporter Verizon (VZ +0.1%) has held talks with Dish (DISH -0.3%). Dish shares are near breakeven after trading lower much of the day in response to the AT&T/DirecTV deal.
• AT&T/DirecTV has fueled speculation Verizon could counter with an offer for Dish, which owns a large chunk of high-frequency spectrum that could be used to offer 4G services. But there has also been a fair amount of skepticism, particularly given Verizon just spent $130B to buy Vodafone's Verizon Wireless stake.
• Analyst Craig Moffett: "Dish Network has just been left standing ... That Verizon might be a buyer is more wishful thinking than it is analysis." Wells Fargo thinks Verizon might bid for Dish's spectrum, but not the whole company.
• The deal has also renewed speculation Dish will try to merge with T-Mobile (TMUS +2.1%), which could face tough regulatory opposition to a merger with Sprint.
• Reuters reported in December Dish is weighing an offer for the #4 U.S. carrier, and Charlie Ergen has said a deal is a possibility.

 

[mike123abc]

It would be funny if VZ buys Dish and outbids DIRECTV on the NFL ST to kill that deal.

 

[KAB]

Scott, you of all people know those hack analyst articles are mostly worthless.

 

[nelson61]

T_Mobile and America Movil doing a combined deal with Dish would make more sense. Compatible GSM networks, America Movil is big both in cell service and satellite tv and already has some kind of relationship with EchoStar (marketing and billing for Dish Mexico). AT&T will be selling their shares in America Movil and no longer have anyone on the America Movil board, freeing up America Movil to compete with them in the US market.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/us-mexico-americamovil-at-t-idUSKBN0DZ1KM20140519

 

[Patrick Smith]

God I hope not!

 

[datwell]

Everyone has heard of Charlie Ergen. Does the name, Masayoshi Son strike a familiar note? A union of DISH + S + TMUS could certainly give T & VZ some huge competition!

 

[rad]

Seeking Alpha now says:

Verizon shoots down Dish reports, could battle AT&T in Web TV • 9:55 AM

"I know there are reports out there that we are talking to Dish (DISH -2.3%). I can tell you now, that is someone's fantasy ... I don't think owning a satellite company is something I'm interested in at this point," says Verizon (VZ +0.1%) CEO Lowell McAdam in response to reports his company has held talks with Dish.
As it is, there was plenty of skepticism Verizon, which just took on more than $60B in debt to help pay for Vodafone's Verizon Wireless stake, would turn its sights on Dish in response to AT&T's (T -0.8%) deal to acquire DirecTV.
McAdam states Verizon's current focus is on rolling out OTT (Web-based) programming. The company bought out Intel's would-be Web TV unit in January, and has since said it's in talks with content providers to offer a Web/mobile TV service.
If/when Verizon's service launches, it'll likely face competition from Dish, which plans to launch a Web TV service aimed at cord-cutters by year's end. It might also compete against AT&T, which hopes to launch a Web TV offering within 12-18 months of the DirecTV deal's closing.
For each company, signing up content providers terrified of upsetting traditional pay-TV clients (and thus putting affiliate fees at risk) remains a challenge. Dish, for its part, has managed to get Disney/ESPN on board.
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DISH price at time of publication: $57.72. Check DISH price now »

 

[datwell]

This is fun!

What's Charlie up to? How about Mr. Son? What about T-Mobile? Don't forget about Latin America opportunities & Mr. Carlos Slim. It's going to be fun watching all of this shake out!

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I'd think that Dish,Sprint,T-Mobile,& Verizon are waiting to see how the ATT-Directv merger pans out before making a plans for merger talks between themselves are held.

 

[Yespage]

Seeking Alpha now says:

It is interesting. Ergen says Sat TV is on a dying path. He is currently working to provide an LTE setup via acquiring online media rights and his large acquisition of bandwidth.

So what exactly is AT&T getting out of buying a dying method of media distribution?

 

[Hall]

So what exactly is AT&T getting out of buying a dying method of media distribution?

Customers (it's the number that matters and D* is big).

 

[KAB]

It is interesting. Ergen says Sat TV is on a dying path. He is currently working to provide an LTE setup via acquiring online media rights and his large acquisition of bandwidth.

So what exactly is AT&T getting out of buying a dying method of media distribution?

That's the question most are asking. AT&T says this will enable them to offer fasting broadband, but what exactly Directv bring to the table to meet that end? Seems Dish and Charlie's bandwidth would be more the ticket to that destination.

 

[charlesrshell]

I would say it is a NO for now for Verizon buying out Dish!
http://www.tvpredictions.com/tvtv052014.htm

 

[harshness]

rad:

I would point out that within days of the AT&T - DIRECTV announcement, Mike White was actively talking down the idea.

 

[Tampa8]

If Smarmy says it that's the final word........

 

[charlesrshell]

rad:

I would point out that within days of the AT&T - DIRECTV announcement, Mike White was actively talking down the idea.

I hope Verizon's CEO does a turn around too. I don't like our precious Dish being called Stinkin.

 

[Yespage]

Customers (it's the number that matters and D* is big).

$67 billion is a lot for customers. Does Directv own any birds in the sky? Or is AT&T thinking they'll just use Directv devices and get rid of their crap boxes? NPR has an abbreviated look at this.

Directv has in-roads in Latin America. Is that it? Is Sat doomed in the States, but expansion into emerging markets is stronger for Satellite? Expansion is easier if you don't have to run a lot of lines underground... or at all.

 

[Tampa8]

I would have to think your on the right track about Latin America.

 

[mike123abc]

That's the question most are asking. AT&T says this will enable them to offer fasting broadband, but what exactly Directv bring to the table to meet that end? Seems Dish and Charlie's bandwidth would be more the ticket to that destination.

If they converted U-Verse customers to DIRECTV dishes then they could use the full bandwidth of U-Verse to deliver the internet instead of internet and TV.

 

[3HaloODST]

If they converted U-Verse customers to DIRECTV dishes then they could use the full bandwidth of U-Verse to deliver the internet instead of internet and TV.

Plus better PQ. U-verse PQ is bad.

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