# Will AT&T Buy DIRECTV Or EchoStar?



## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

http://www.tvpredictions.com/attbuy051707.htm

This is cute.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Oh great, "D* is now the new AT&T."


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## DaveTheWave (Mar 27, 2007)

Who will be the first to whip up a new D* logo with an ATT theme?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

theratpatrol said:


> Oh great, "D* is now the new AT&T."


Nahh ... AT&T will change it's name to DirectPhone for a year and then go back to the AT&T brand after a year or two ...


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

I don't see either one happening...

I agree with the first part of the article, that AT&T needs to decide on one of the two providers, to partner up with.... so they can fully explorer that partnership.

Given what I have read about their "entertainment" offering... it is possible that they are looking to get out of that business line, and looking for a full time partner.

It is possible AT&T may try to buy majority share holdings for the provider they choose.... but at the end of the day... I doubt you will see a name change... as it would make it "that much harder" to sell them off at a later time.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

If Ma Bell and Charlie conjugate, we could refer to the merger as "Ma & Pa Bell". :lol:


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## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

Nick said:


> If Ma Bell and Charlie conjugate, we could refer to the merger as "Ma & Pa Bell". :lol:


Now thats funny! As I said in another post, this was talked about in meetings when I worked at at&t. The idea (at the time) was to form a bond with Echostar to which they have done since then. It was to provide Video to homes that couldnt get FiOS from the at&t project called lightspeed. We called it a place holder till lightspeed was ready.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Some interesting possibilities here. One of them is: 

John Malone, the former chairman of Telecommunications, Inc. (the largest cable company in the US) sold his former company to AT&T. AT&T tires of the cable business after a short period and spins the company off and the company is renamed Comcast Communications (the largest cable company in the US). John Malone leaves AT&T prior to the Comcast spin off and eventually becomes the controlling party of DirecTv. John Malone then considers selling DirecTv to AT&T.

Personally, I don't see this happening, but you just never know.


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## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

Richard King said:


> Some interesting possibilities here. One of them is:
> 
> John Malone, the former chairman of Telecommunications, Inc. (the largest cable company in the US) sold his former company to AT&T. AT&T tires of the cable business after a short period and spins the company off and the company is renamed Comcast Communications (the largest cable company in the US). John Malone leaves AT&T prior to the Comcast spin off and eventually becomes the controlling party of DirecTv. John Malone then considers selling DirecTv to AT&T.
> 
> Personally, I don't see this happening, but you just never know.


Thats sure something to think about.


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## tomcrown1 (Jan 16, 2006)

E is now the new AT&T which will become the new Cingular which will be the new Pacific Bell.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I'm so confused.


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## KCCardsfan (Apr 18, 2007)

FIOS is Verizon, U-verse is AT&T & AT&T doesn't want to 'BUY' either, only partner with one to continue to get video to areas not served by fiber for U-verse.

https://uverse1.att.com/launchAMSS.do

http://www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios/packages+and+prices/packages+and+prices.htm


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## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

KCCardsfan said:


> FIOS is Verizon, U-verse is AT&T & AT&T doesn't want to 'BUY' either, only partner with one to continue to get video to areas not served by fiber for U-verse.
> 
> https://uverse1.att.com/launchAMSS.do
> 
> http://www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios/packages+and+prices/packages+and+prices.htm


Correct .. As I said before cept the blub about FiOS is that it was just talk in meetings.


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## GFloyd (Jun 3, 2003)

Richard King said:


> Some interesting possibilities here. One of them is:
> 
> John Malone, the former chairman of Telecommunications, Inc. (the largest cable company in the US) sold his former company to AT&T. AT&T tires of the cable business after a short period and spins the company off and the company is renamed Comcast Communications (the largest cable company in the US). John Malone leaves AT&T prior to the Comcast spin off and eventually becomes the controlling party of DirecTv. John Malone then considers selling DirecTv to AT&T.
> 
> Personally, I don't see this happening, but you just never know.


When AT&T purchased "Media-One" cable from Malone, that was the old AT&T. The new AT&T is ran out of San Antonio by the management team from SBC. They changed the name to AT&T, but the SBC team is clearly in charge.

I only point that out to highlight that anyone who worked with Malone at the time AT&T purchased Media-One is no longer in a position of power as it relates to mergers and acquistions.

Like you said .. I don't see it happening.

Along those lines, SBC had an arrangement with E* and inherited one with D* when they purchased Bell South. As such, my bet is an exclusive arrangement with E* is forthcoming only because that's what they already had in place.


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## jedin (Aug 22, 2006)

Verizon has teamed with D*. According to a letter I received from Verizon I can combine the billing & get a price break...

It has me thinking.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

jedin said:


> Verizon has teamed with D*. According to a letter I received from Verizon I can combine the billing & get a price break...
> 
> It has me thinking.


Does this include Verizon Wireless, or just their landline service?

Thanks


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I don't think Malone had an interest (or at least not a large interest) in MediaOne. Interesting the places where you can find the history of events: http://www.scripophily.net/teinde19.html

More history.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaOne


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## CraigM (Jan 20, 2007)

Would DTV become ATT UVerse if ATT bought DTV?


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

CraigM said:


> Would DTV become ATT UVerse if ATT bought DTV?


AT&T Uverse is AT&T's own project.It is IPTV not satellite TV.Right now AT&T's Homezone is Dishnetwork satellite TV.


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## Cage (May 21, 2007)

Will probably be DTV since Dish is debuting a phone packgae soon.


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## Kevin Dupuy (Nov 29, 2006)

They wouldn't do anything until after 2008 if they hope to get regulatory approval. They couldn't get it this close after the BellSouth/AT&T thing-a-ma-bell-jig.

I don't think they would buy either. I think in a couple of years we'll be talking about AT&T's acquisition of Verizon once AT&T realizes they can't get U-Verse working.

_On a side note: I walked in to a CIngular store right after they've removed every sign that they used to be Cingular, and are now fully AT&T, a salesperson at the door said "Welcome to the new AT&T" Without making eye contact I commented "Yeah, because who needs anti-trust laws?_


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