AT&T to Sell DIRECTV Stake to TPG For $7.6 Billion

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

AT&T announced this morning it will sell its 70 percent stake in DIRECTV to the private equity firm, TPG. The deal will give TPG complete ownership of the satellite TV company and could set the stage for its purchase of Dish’s TV assets later this week.

Update: DIRECTV to Buy Dish and Sling TV.

The announcement says the transaction will include an initial payment of $2 billion to AT&T in 2025 with an additional payment of $500 million coming in 2029. AT&T says it expects to receive $7.6 billion in cash from DIRECTV through 2029.

The telco, which purchased DIRECTV in 2015 for $49 billion, sold 30 percent of the company to TPG in 2021. AT&T had hoped that its original purchase of DIRECTV would enable it to use the TV service to attract and keep wireless customers and broaden its audience. However, in the nine years that AT&T owned DIRECTV in whole or part, the TV provider lost at least 14 million subscribers. 

AT&T’s statement today said: “We reached an agreement to sell our remaining stake in DIRECTV to TPG. This transaction helps us continue to simplify our business and focus on advancing our lead in converged connectivity through our core growth areas of 5G and fiber.”

The company said it expects the sale of DIRECTV to TPG to close in the second half of 2025.

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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.