AT & T buys pay-TV platform DirecTV … – RTVE

enlarge

a satellite dish of DirecTV subscriber Los Angeles, California (USA). REUTERS / Jonathan Alcorn

RTVE.es / AGENCIES

U.S. phone operator AT & T has reached a definitive agreement to acquire DirecTV 67.100 million (about 48.978 million euros), price includes debt satellite platform Pay TV, as reported by the company in a statement. This giant of the Pay TV with 26 million subscribers will be created.

operation must receive approval from regulators . In order to facilitate the approval of the purchase by the regulatory authorities in Latin America, AT & T says it will carry out the divestment of its interest in the operator America Movil.

DirecTV shareholders receive 28 , $ 50 per share in cash and $ 66.50 in other shares of AT & T (total $ 95 for each share of DirecTV), which will call for an outlay of 48,500 mln dollars. After the closing of the transaction, which is expected to complete in the course of the next twelve months, DirecTV shareholders will control between 14.5% and 15.8% of AT & T .

“ is a unique opportunity that will redefine entertainment video industry and create a company capable of delivering content to consumers through mobile phones, televisions, computers, cars and even aircraft, “said CEO of AT & T , Randall Stephenson said in a statement.

DirecTV Stephenson described as ” best option “for AT & T “because they have the leading brand in pay-TV , the best relationships in the field of content and a business that is growing rapidly in Latin America.” The agreement comes at a time where video consumption occurs increasingly through internet instead of traditional televisions.

The agreement, both companies approved Sunday, comes just three months after that Comcast acordase buy Time Warner for 45,200 million. Daily The Wall Street Journal states that the agreements show how large television and telecommunications companies are making huge operations to cope with a changing environment, collects Reuters.

The newspaper reminds that growth is weak in sectors such as pay-TV but at the same time there is an explosive growth in the distribution of live video over the web. Companies seem to bet that a larger size will give you the resources to invest in new media areas and close important deals.

DirectTV is the second pay-TV operator in the U.S., with about 20 million customers, while ATT has about 5.7 million through their cable networks. The transaction will create a company with 26 million subscribers payment behind only Comcast and Time Warner Cable , which will have about 30 million users if regulators approve its fusion.