By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.

Dish CEO Hamid Akhavan yesterday said there are “significant synergies” between his company and rival DIRECTV which could result in a merger between the two satellite TV units, reports Deadline.

“I can’t speak to how inevitable it is,” Akhavan said, referring to Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen’s previous statements about a possible satellite merger. “To me, obviously there are significant synergies there, when you look at the two businesses being in the same space. Both businesses are under attack from the content providers and [face] other challenges. The opportunity is there, has always been there. It’s a matter of us getting to finding the right time and economics to look at it.”

The Dish executive made the comment in an earnings call with financial analysts following the company’s release of its first quarter report which showed Dish and its streaming service, Sling TV, losing 348,000 net subscribers. The first quarter sub defections means that Dish has now lost almost six million subscribers since 2015, leaving it with 8.2 million subs total.

With DIRECTV losing roughly 14 million subscribers in that time, the logic of a merger between the satellite companies would appear obvious as they both seek ways to survive in a cord-cutting world. However, it’s unclear if the Biden administration would approve the deal due to its possible impact on residents in rural areas which have fewer video options. In addition, Dish is experiencing severe financial troubles with some analysts saying a bankruptcy filing may be required.

On the bankruptcy possibility, Akhavan said: “Our recipe is very simple, candidly. Can we push the maturities out … so that we have enough cash to operate the business? We’re very bullish about our prospects for operating the business if we have the capital to execute that. While we’re working on that financing, we aren’t sitting on our hands.”

Dish’s Ergen did not attend yesterday’s quarterly earnings call for the second time in a row.

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.