(PatrioticPost.com)- DirecTV and Dish Network announced a merger, according to a report by the defense and national security website 19FortyFive. Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen reportedly announced the merger on an earnings call in November.
Ergen expressed that he thought that the merger was inevitable and spoke about the midterm elections, noting that it would have been easy to complain about big companies making moves during that time.
After making that statement ahead of the elections, any more information about a merger between the two satellite companies who have reportedly bled their customers for several years has not yet been revealed.
The two companies almost merged in 2002, but it was blocked by the FCC. It was the first time in 36 years that the agency blocked two companies for what they considered anticompetitive behavior and against the public interest, The New York Times reported. Government officials commented, saying that the companies now had to work out a deal that would be attractive to them and in the interests of consumers.
After discussions over the last 20 years, it appears that the two companies are ready to merge once again.
Both companies have reportedly lost subscribers over the last quarter. DirecTV lost 400,000 subscribers, leaving it with 13.5 million, and Dish lost 184,000, leaving it with 7.6 million.
Companies in the “Other Traditional Services” category, consisting of satellite or fiber, lost a total of around 700,000 subscribers. Comcast reportedly lost the most subscribers, 562,000, with DirecTV following second.
Since 2015, however, DirecTV has lost more than 12 million subscribers after AT&T bought the company. A report from Fitch Ratings revealed that concerns over the loss come as consumers have shifted their preferences from television to streaming platforms. The report added that both Dish and DirecTV are similar services.
