AT&T To Buy DIRECTV for $67 Billion

[BlueLemon]

I've said it from the beginning. I think this is one of the dumbest deals I've seen. While highly unlikely, I hope this deal falls through.

 

[Big Dawg 23]

I've said it from the beginning. I think this is one of the dumbest deals I've seen. While highly unlikely, I hope this deal falls through.

Just out of courtesy why are you against it?

 

[whitewolf8214]

DirecTV Offers Compelling Value For Income Investors http://seekingalpha.com/article/2448155-directv-offers-compelling-value-for-income-investors

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Looks like this deal might get DOJ approval shortly.

http://nypost.com/2014/08/25/att-agrees-to-conditions-with-feds-in-48-5m-directv-purchase/

 

[whitewolf8214]

AT&T agrees to conditions with feds in $48.5B DirecTV purchase
AT&T has agreed with the feds on the conditions paving the way for it to buy DirecTV, a source close to the process told The Post.AT&T worked out the plan with the Justice Department, according to the source. It could not be learned what, if any, conditions the DOJ has placed on the merger.In May AT&T agreed to buy satellite television company DirecTV for $48.5 billion.Agreeing to comply means the Department of Justice will likely clear the AT&T deal in October. The FCC still has not ruled on the merger.The move will allow AT&T to add DirecTV's 20 million satellite-TV subscribers to its 5.7 million U-Verse TV service subscribers, which currently spans 22 states.This merger has caused concern among those who believe the convergence of the few remaining telecom and cable giants will cause a rise in prices.Senator Al Franken (D-Mn.) in July wrote in a letter to the Department of Justice, "I urge you to carefully scrutinize AT&T's proposed acquisition of DirecTV to determine whether the deal is in consumers' best interests.""If AT&T is permitted to acquire DirecTV, the combined entity will have enhanced power in virtually every corner of the telecommunications market—power that AT&T potentially could use to obtain an unfair advantage over consumers and competitors. As such, I have some concerns about this deal."Being able to work out a deal with the regulators is a good sign for Comcast so that it will know what conditions it will face for its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable, the source said.The combined subscription base of 26 million customers would be second only to Comcast and TWC's, which would boast 30 million combined.
AT&T declined to comment. http://nypost.com/2014/08/25/att-agrees-to-conditions-with-feds-in-48-5m-directv-purchase/

 

[KG4KBU]

I am for it if we can get BBC world news and CNN international and more local channels such as wymt and possibly the sub channels

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Exclusive: State attorneys general probing AT&T deal for DirecTV
https://tv.yahoo.com/news/exclusive...probing-t-deal-directv-165538524--sector.html

 

[whitewolf8214]

DirecTV at GS Communacopia: New Hispanic product, AT&T merger on track
DirecTV (DTV) CEO Mike White revealed during his talk at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference that the company expects to launch a Hispanic online TV product by the end of the year.
YaVeo is expected to have primarily on-demand programming.
Management says the merger with AT&T T is on track. A closing during the first half of 2015 is still expected. http://seekingalpha.com/news/198051...c-product-at-and-t-merger-on-track#email_link Unless it gets stopped by Attorney Generals!!

 

[whitewolf8214]

AT&T And DirecTV Merger Under Scrutiny - How Will It Affect Shareholders?
Sep. 15, 2014 3:31 PM ET | 8 comments | About: AT&T Inc. (T), DTV

Disclosure: The author has no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. (More...)
Summary

Investigation is being carried out to cover the merger between AT&T and DirecTV on grounds that it will damage public interest by lowering competition.
AT&T reported an increase in consolidated revenues of 1.6% which amounted to $32.6 billion in its second quarter results.
The future guidance for the company is an increase in consolidated revenues by 5%, stable consolidated margins, and adjusted earnings per share at the low end of mid-single digit range.
With all these concerns, investment doesn't seem like a good idea at this moment in the company.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/249...nder-scrutiny-how-will-it-affect-shareholders

 

[Poke]

Consumer Groups Say AT&T, DirecTV Deal Very Bad News for Users

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/...T-DirecTV-Deal-Very-Bad-News-for-Users-130491

 

[Jimbo]

More and more drivvvel ....
Is it possible these other companies are jealous ?
They all would love to be in ATT/D*'s shoes ....

So tired of you guys finding every negative article you can find and posting it, I have pretty much given up reading this thread.

As long as your Not the companies involved, everyone else of course will,be against it, because it's not them.

 

[meStevo]

I haven't read a lot, but have only seen fud from detractors and nothing I've seen to be concerned about as a D* customer.

If they ruin the service I leave.

 

[mikew]

I haven't read a lot, but have only seen fud from detractors and nothing I've seen to be concerned about as a D* customer.

If they ruin the service I leave.

Most logical stance of all.

 

[mike123abc]

I haven't read a lot, but have only seen fud from detractors and nothing I've seen to be concerned about as a D* customer.

If they ruin the service I leave.

That is one advantage of the AT&T/DIRECTV deal, if you do not like the service you can drop it and get cable (or Dish).

Unlike Comcast, you might be stuck with them if you do not want DSL....

 

[DS0816]

Comcast/Time-Warner Cable.

AT&T's U-verse/DirecTV.

For any of them to go through means there will be more to come.

I have not followed much of this thread. I do want to ask, "Would this bring sufficient bandwidth to all, which would make it possible to deliver every channel in high definition in short time?"

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I haven't read a lot, but have only seen fud from detractors and nothing I've seen to be concerned about as a D* customer.

If they ruin the service I leave.

I have no problem with the AT&T/ Directv merger since I have service with both(DSL with AT&T). I wish AT&T would expand U-Verse to where I live,since it's supposed to be offered in my area,but that's another story.

 

[whitewolf8214]

AT&T's Stankey: Company will end up spending more on content after DirecTV purchase

Spoiler

September 16, 2014 | By Daniel Frankel
Belying his company's earlier claims that its proposed purchase of DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) could yield synergies of around $1.6 billion in regard to programming acquisitions, AT&T (NYSE: T) Chief Strategy Officer John Stankey said content costs could actually increase for the combined company if AT&T's ambitious programming goals are realized.Speaking Tuesday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment event in New York, Stankey said the "absolute dollar amount we spend on content will probably go up, but we'll be investing in a lot more business models."In short, Stankey says AT&T will be able to far more cheaply provide programming for the base of nearly 6 million U-verse video subscribers the company "paid through the nose" to build.
Did you know that almost 30% of customers using online self-care tools are unable to get the support they need? Or that up to 20% of call volume in today's contact centers is actually "fall-back" traffic following a failed self-care interaction? Digital self-care channels have become a staple in the modern customer care mix. But are they working hard enough? Register Now!
Sign up for our FREE newsletter for more news like this sent to your inbox!
But AT&T's programming ambitions don't stop there. Beyond a pay-TV subscriber base that would swell to nearly 28 million in the U.S. with the DirecTV acquisition, the company also has a network of 100 million wireless customers it's seeking to program for.While that scale drives down costs for producing and acquiring content, it also provides AT&T with programming opportunities it might not otherwise enjoy."We can now provide [content makers] a distribution service very few people can offer," he explained.
AT&T, Stankey added, wants to build "multiple legs of a stool," starting with premium sports content, such as DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. He said the relationship with former News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin provides the other "legs." One of those would be niche programming, such as foreign melo-dramas or sports leagues—over-the-top video designed to serve specific audiences of 4 million-5 million viewers.Snack-sized premium short-form video aimed at Millennial wireless users would constitute another leg of the stool, and a premium SVOD service would be the other."This is a great opportunity to start building on that 100 million-handset mobile audience," Stankey noted.
For more:- listen to this AT&T webcast http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=113088&p=irol-EventDetails&EventId=5168966

http://www.fiercecable.com/story/at...ore-content-after-directv-purchase/2014-09-16

 

[Jimbo]

AT&T's Stankey: Company will end up spending more on content after DirecTV purchase

Spoiler

September 16, 2014 | By Daniel Frankel
Belying his company's earlier claims that its proposed purchase of DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) could yield synergies of around $1.6 billion in regard to programming acquisitions, AT&T (NYSE: T) Chief Strategy Officer John Stankey said content costs could actually increase for the combined company if AT&T's ambitious programming goals are realized.Speaking Tuesday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment event in New York, Stankey said the "absolute dollar amount we spend on content will probably go up, but we'll be investing in a lot more business models."In short, Stankey says AT&T will be able to far more cheaply provide programming for the base of nearly 6 million U-verse video subscribers the company "paid through the nose" to build.
Did you know that almost 30% of customers using online self-care tools are unable to get the support they need? Or that up to 20% of call volume in today's contact centers is actually "fall-back" traffic following a failed self-care interaction? Digital self-care channels have become a staple in the modern customer care mix. But are they working hard enough? Register Now!
Sign up for our FREE newsletter for more news like this sent to your inbox!
But AT&T's programming ambitions don't stop there. Beyond a pay-TV subscriber base that would swell to nearly 28 million in the U.S. with the DirecTV acquisition, the company also has a network of 100 million wireless customers it's seeking to program for.While that scale drives down costs for producing and acquiring content, it also provides AT&T with programming opportunities it might not otherwise enjoy."We can now provide [content makers] a distribution service very few people can offer," he explained.
AT&T, Stankey added, wants to build "multiple legs of a stool," starting with premium sports content, such as DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. He said the relationship with former News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin provides the other "legs." One of those would be niche programming, such as foreign melo-dramas or sports leagues—over-the-top video designed to serve specific audiences of 4 million-5 million viewers.Snack-sized premium short-form video aimed at Millennial wireless users would constitute another leg of the stool, and a premium SVOD service would be the other."This is a great opportunity to start building on that 100 million-handset mobile audience," Stankey noted.
For more:- listen to this AT&T webcast http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=113088&p=irol-EventDetails&EventId=5168966

http://www.fiercecable.com/story/at...ore-content-after-directv-purchase/2014-09-16

Of course the company will end up spending more money, costs continue to rise regardless of money spent.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I know that this has been asked before(& probably by me),but I wonder if both Directv & U-Verse TV will work on having a common line-up? I know that separate TV contracts are in play,but is there a way to overcome that,because it would be pretty inconvenient for one company to have 2 separate contracts for 1 TV service(that you can get either by satellite or through fiber optics with U-Verse). One possible setback would be the number of new HD channels that Directv would have to pick up from U-Verse through commonality,but can't due to present limited satellite space.

 

[meStevo]

I know that this has been asked before(& probably by me),but I wonder if both Directv & U-Verse TV will work on having a common line-up? I know that separate TV contracts are in play,but is there a way to overcome that,because it would be pretty inconvenient for one company to have 2 separate contracts for 1 TV service(that you can get either by satellite or through fiber optics with U-Verse). One possible setback would be the number of new HD channels that Directv would have to pick up from U-Verse through commonality,but can't due to present limited satellite space.

Likely a long term goal but I'm sure some nuances in contracts and negotiations will ensure they never 100% line up.