DIRECTV-Dish Merger: Who Would Control the Company? DIRECTV Or Dish?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.

TV Answer Man, do you know who would run the company if DIRECTV and Dish have a merger? Would it be Charlie Ergen? Would all policies be dictated by him like no regional sports networks? — Jerry, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Jerry, Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal have both reported that DIRECTV and Dish are close to agreeing on a merger which could be announced as early as Monday. The publications caution that it could still fall apart as the companies finalize details, but it looks, to use a favorite Charlie Ergen word, inevitable now.

I’ve received several e-mails from readers asking what the new company would look like and who would run it. As far as policy is concerned, this is still in the speculative stage. But as far as who would run the company, CNBC reports that Dish would sell its satellite TV service and Sling TV streaming unit to DIRECTV. That would strongly suggest that the new c0mpany would come under DIRECTV’s management, not Ergen, the maverick (and sometimes belligerent) chairman of Dish.

That would also suggest that DIRECTV’s current policy on issues such as carrying most regional sports networks rather than jettisoning all of them, as Dish has done, would stay. Current DIRECTV subscribers should not fear that they will suddenly lose their favorite sports channels, and perhaps, Dish customers could look forward to gaining some.

Beyond that, it’s difficult to say what the new company would do until we get more details, not to mention an official word that a merger will happen. (And it would still have to be approved by the federal government. More on that here.)

As always, the TV Answer Man will monitor this situation and report back here if anything significant changes.

Jerry, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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.

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.