When Could Dish Subscribers Be Switched to DIRECTV?

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, I read your articles today. Thank you for keeping us informed. I have a question. I have Dish. Do you know when we will become DIRECTV subscribers? How will that work? — Clyde, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Clyde, DIRECTV announced this morning that it has agreed to buy EchoStar’s video assets including Dish’s satellite TV service and its live streaming service, Sling TV.  However, that doesn’t mean the companies will automatically become one. The deal will have to be approved by federal regulators and that could take at least a year. Until then, it’s unlikely that Dish will change much. You can expect basically the same service, including billing options, that you get today.

If the sale is approved, which I believe is likely, then DIRECTV will take steps to integrate the two companies as smoothly as possible. My guess is that the biggest change will be branding and programming lineups. (In other words, don’t expect DIRECTV to replace your dish with a DIRECTV dish.) DIRECTV will want the Dish audience to have a similar set of channels and prices although it might tinker with that somewhat based on differences among Dish subscribers. (Dish has more rural subscribers than DIRECTV.)

The TV Answer Man will answer more question about the DIRECTV-Dish deal today. If you have a question, send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

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.