TV Answer Man, I thought DIRECTV was supposed to be a new company by now with a new board of directors and executives. What’s up with that? Did the sale fall through? — Gene, Toledo, Ohio.
Gene, AT&T announced on February 25 that it would sell 30 percent of DIRECTV, U-verse and AT&T to a private equity firm, TPG, and the two would combine to create a new company to run all three TV services.
Update: AT&T says sale to close in “next few weeks.”
Under the agreement, the new DIRECTV will be governed by a board with two representatives each from AT&T and TPG as well as a fifth seat for the CEO, who will be Bill Morrow, a top AT&T executive. AT&T said the deal was expected to close in the second half of this year.
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It’s now the second half so where’s the new DIRECTV, you ask?
There are two recent developments that suggests the launch of the new entity is close.
1. The FCC last week approved the transfer of DIRECTV’s satellite licenses to the new company, a final regulatory obstacle before the new DIRECTV can begin. The agency ruled that the sale was “in the public interest.”
2. The web site, Streaming Clarity, reports that at least one DIRECTV retailer is already promoting something called, ‘DIRECTV Stream,’ which would appear to be a replacement name for AT&T TV. This would make sense. AT&T executives hinted in the sale announcement that the DIRECTV brand would be used for AT&T’s two other TV services, U-verse and AT&T TV.
There are also a few company actions I’ve noticed in my reporting that would suggest the sale is close to finalization. I can’t discuss them publicly, but combined with the two listed above, they tell me that AT&T may be preparing to announce the new company. (Here are my thoughts from last February on how TPG might change DIRECTV.)
The TV Answer Man will monitor this situation, and report back here when new developments occur. Until then, happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Hola, yo fui cliente de DIRECTV por 8 años, hasta que llegó la compañía ATT la cual se encargó de destruir DIRECTV por varios motivos,,,,, ahora tengo el nuevo dispositivo de ROKUTV y sus plataformas llenas de canales de televisión en alta Definición HD con excelente calidad, ,,,, ojalá DIRECTV cambie,mejore y recupere los clientes perdidos ofreciendo mejores paquetes de canales y obsiones para todos, además de tener su plataforma strenming por internet la televisión del presente y futuro,,, gracias,,,,
Will we get our money worth with the new disg. They took so much away and never replaced anything. More promo commercials , and less shows and no dicounts in prices for basic. It will have to change or we will have to. Far less and lots of money.
Pamela, i don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but the likelyhood of DTV going down in price isn’t going to happen. Carriage fees are a huge driver of the overall cost.
My hope is that that the NFL allows for a streamer to carry the ticket. If so, i’m probably going to leave DTV. The caveat being that if the streamers don’t improve their live guides (youtube live’s guide is horrible, no numbers, not info, etc.) i could stay.
but streaming is less expensive, for how long? who knows?
In my opinion APARTMENT COMPLEX WHERE I LIVE ON KEARNY MESA CALIFORNIA. I feel everyone connected to THE BUSINESS ACCOUNT @ 5400 Kearny Mesa rd san diego ca 92111. JUST LEFT US BLACKOUT SCREENS with NO SIGNALS my apartment complex HYDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT has probably fulfilled to get TV looked at. But I TRY TO CALL OFFICE AT MY COMPLEX I leave a voicemail. I teied the REPRESENTATIVE that comes out BUT THIS REPS PHONE # voicemail is full. NO COMMUNICATION NO BREAKDOWN
Damn shame you have BUSINESS WITH OVER 80+ OF residents getting service BUT FROM SATURDAY JULY 17TH Through MONDAY yes today JULY 19TH still NO TV SERVICE ……serious BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNICATION THAT DOES NOT RESOLVE ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES and DOES NOT RESOLVE seeing. FULL business day GO TO WASTE OVER NO REPS COMING TO check everyones lines. We have 20 buildings with NO SIGNAL come on now…
There are Millions of customers who Have and Still want a “NO Sports Package”.
AT&T Discontinued the “SELECT Package” recently to NEW customers.
Existing customers, so far, are Grandfathered.
Hope the New company Re-Instates a NO sports package with ALL the NO sports channels.
There are some NON sports channels still in the HIGHER Tier packages
that need to be moved to the the “SELECT” package.
DirecTV’s “SELECT” Package is close, but it is lacking a few channels.
Destination America Channel, Cooking, Disc Life, DIY, FLIX, FYI,
Great Am Country – (CMT), Lifetime MOVIE Channel, LOGO,
OWN, Science Channel, The Travel Channel,
The Weather Channel.
We Do NOT want to Pay for channels we NEVER Watch.
Offer a Basic Package with just Local Channels, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX
CNN, MSMBC, and the Weather Channel.
Put ALL Sports in A-La-Carte Packages.
They can add to just the Basic Package.
Remove the HD Charge for Everyone.
NO DVR Charges. Put DVR service in the CLOUD
Get the Providers to LOWER their Prices.
Offer receivers we can buy.
Offer ALL this thru a Satellite Dish or Streaming
everyone wants to make up your own ala carte! Thats not what makes money, you bozo’s! buying ala carte eventually gives you 30 channels for more$ than you paid for 150 channels! HA
Thom, That is True, it is called “Streaming”
That plan Backfired, BIG TIME. Costs a Fortune.
The New DirecTV needs (3 groups) of the NON Sports channels.
1. A Basic Package with Just Local Channels, + ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX
CNN, MSMBC, C-Span 1 & 2 and the Real Weather Channel.
$ 20.00
2. A Middle group, The Basic Package with MORE NON Sports Channels.
$ 35.00
3. The COMPLETE Package with ALL NON Sports Channels.
$ 50.00
Any Sports Packages or Movie Packages can be ADDED to ANY of the above Packages. for an Additional charge.
Make the DirecTV HD EXTRA Pack the,
“DirecTV MOVIE PACKAGE”
$ 5.00
Include: AMC, CI, FLIX, FXM, Hallmark Movies, HDNM, IFC, LMN, MGM, MTVLV, Ovation, REELZ, SHORTS, SMITH, SONY, Sundance, TCM, TNT,
Makes Everyone Happy.