DirecTV (DTV) Chief Executive Mike White said there would be
"strategic merit" and "synergies" in a merger with rival Dish
Network Corp. (DISH) but cautioned there are no substantive talks
under way.
"We're a long way from making this a substantive conversation
that's not just pure speculation," Mr. White said at a conference
hosted by Citigroup Tuesday.
Mr. White's comments come a couple of months after Dish Chairman
Charlie Ergen said a merger is something "both companies have to
consider." At the time, he also said there were no active
discussions under way between the two companies.
As of Sept. 30, DirecTV had 20 million domestic subscribers,
making it the second-largest pay-TV operator after Comcast Corp.
(CMCSA, CMCSK). Dish, with 14 million domestic subscribers at the
end of September, is the third-largest operator.
In 2002, antitrust regulators blocked a merger between Dish's
predecessor company, EchoStar Communications Corp., and DirecTV's
former parent, Hughes Electronics Corp.
Write to John Jannarone at John.Jannarone@wsj.com
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