DIRECTV AGREED TO acquire rival pay-TV provider Dish Network for $1, plus the assumption of debt. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, includes the purchase of Dish TV and Sling TV from owner EchoStar in exchange for DirecTV taking on $9.75 billion of Dish’s debt, the companies said in a joint statement.
Dish and DirecTV expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter of 2025 if it is approved by the Federal Communications Commission. However, the companies proposed an $18.5 billion deal in 2002 that the FTC blocked over monopoly and antitrust concerns, according to a report published in The New York Times.
“DIRECTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” said Bill Morrow, DirecTV’s CEO. “With greater scale, we believe a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better positioned to work with programmers, aggregate and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and achieve operational efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”
The deal will create one of the largest pay-TV providers in the U.S., according to The Times report. Dish has roughly 8.1 million subscribers, according to analyst firm MoffettNathanson, while DirecTV has about 11 million. Comcast, a major cable provider, has approximately 13.2 million video subscribers.
DIRECTV and Dish expect their combining will benefit U.S. video consumers by creating a stronger competitive force in a video industry increasingly dominated by streaming services owned by large tech companies, the statement said. The transaction aims to provide video options while improving EchoStar’s financial profile as it enhances its nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network.
Last August, Amir Ahmed, Dish TV’s executive vice president, discussed his responsibilities at the Asian Hospitality Leadership Series, where he outlined how he oversees DISH’s hospitality business by introducing new technologies, such as the OnStream platform, to attract guests and enhance efficiency for both hotels and guests while reducing labor needs.
