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The other option is for them to sell off Direct TV and retain Turner Broadcasting... Seems like some good ol' monopoly busting/prevention is finally coming out
by jdavis703 9y ago
The other option is for them to sell off Direct TV and retain Turner Broadcasting... Seems like some good ol' monopoly busting/prevention is finally coming out of the DoJ.
- tssva 9y agoDirecTV and Turner Broadcasting don't compete with each other. Making them sell one or the other makes no sense from a monopoly busting/prevention standpoint. If it was a choice between two content creation groups it would make sense. AT&T has already invested heavily in integrating the DirecTV, DirecTV Now and U-verse TV services. AT&T has made clear that these services are key strategic assets going forward. The DoJ knows this, so it is reasonable to conclude that their goal is to force the sale of Turner Broadcasting. The question becomes why would they want to force this sale. Given Trump's statements it is more than reasonable to conclude that it is to change the ownership of CNN.
- oddevan 9y agoNo, DirecTV and Turner don't compete with each other. BUT Turner owns some of the most sought-after cable networks. It's not just CNN; we're talking TNT, TBS, and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim as well. Without these networks, it's very hard to put together a compelling cable bundle (as YouTube is no doubt finding out now). I don't know what the DOJ is actually playing at, but I suspect it's to prevent a combined AT&T from locking Turner networks to DirecTV (either by fiat or by prohibitively expensive contracts).