(Reuters) – AT&T Inc and its joint venture partner TPG are in talks to merge DirecTV with Dish, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Discussions between DirecTV and Dish parent EchoStar Corp. are still in the early stages, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News, cautioning that no agreement has been reached yet.
“Rumors of a potential deal involving DirecTV and Dish are not new, but we do not comment on rumors and speculation,” a DirecTV spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Dish and AT&T (NYSE:) did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment outside business hours. TPG declined to comment.
DirecTV is in a public battle with Disney that has resulted in 11 million DirecTV customers losing access to ESPN in the middle of the US Open tennis tournament.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a competing plan between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: ) to launch a joint sports-focused video streaming venture called Venu Sports.
The launch was temporarily blocked by a court order as part of a lawsuit filed by rival sports streaming company FuboTV (NYSE:) accusing the media companies of anti-competitive behavior.
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