DirecTV, DISH merger could see Sling, DirecTVStream merge

DirecTV is currently in advanced discussions to acquire their rival, Dish Network, as part of a merger. The companies were previously the two biggest satellite television providers in the United States.

Nevertheless, they have since gone in different directions in recent years.

Dish Network reached its peak popularity back in 2010 with 14.1 million total subscribers.

The company, however, has since declined to have 10 million users as of 2022. Their fall was partially due to satellite providers experiencing tough times. People gradually either went back to cable or, in most cases, signed up for streaming services.

Another issue for Dish Network was the fact that the company historically opted not to carry higher-priced regional sports networks.

Their decline was in perfect step with the MSG Network leaving Dish Network in the fall of 2010. Other popular regional sports channels, such as Bally Sports, also left the provider as well.

DirecTV, on the other hand, actually gained subscribers beyond 2010. This came as AT&T completed a takeover of the provider in 2015 for around $67.1 billion. DirecTV’s ability to stay afloat during this period is attributed to its rebrand, as well as the introduction of a streaming service.

Dish Network’s parent company heading for bankruptcy without a deal

CNBC is now reporting that EchoStar, Dish Network’s parent company, will sell the provider to DirecTV. The agreement is not yet complete, but it is apparently close to a done deal.

In fact, the financial website claims that both sides are hopeful that an agreement will be in place by Monday.

The potential deal is down to EchoStar’s ongoing financial troubles. The company wants to pay off nearly $2 billion of debt in the near future. This comes as EchoStar had just $521 million in cash and securities as of this summer.

EchoStar’s seemingly pending bankruptcy has, however, thrown a monkey wrench into the negotiations with DirecTV. Not only do the two sides have to come to an agreement, but EchoStar’s creditors also have to get involved as well.

Despite the possible issues, the upcoming deal will be an all-cash agreement. According to CNBC’s sources, DirecTV could pay EchoStar up to $9 billion for all of EchoStar’s business dealings. This means that the deal would not solely involve the satellite television provider.

Sling TV would move under DirecTV’s umbrella in agreement

Because the agreement involves all of EchoStar, Sling TV will also be sold off to DirecTV. The streaming service is a subsidiary of Dish Network. Founded in 2015, Sling is one of the top multichannel video programming distributors in the United States. Nevertheless, much like Dish Network, Sling has also experienced relative hardship.

The streaming service previously peaked at nearly 2.6 million subscribers in the fall of 2021. The company has since lost hundreds of thousands of users in the last few years. As of November 2023, Sling recorded just over 2.1 million subscribers.

While DirecTV has weathered the storm, they have lost customers in recent years as well. Assuming the deal does get finalized, a merger between Sling and DirecTVStream will be announced. It remains to be seen how a potential partnership would affect current customers.

Photo credit: IMAGO / SOPA Images.