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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: DirecTV

DirecTV stories: 16 news summaries
WATCH THE AD

 Spade Got $200K for Farley Ad 

Controversial DirecTV commercial is a 'tribute,' reps insist

Oct 30, 09 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Why did David Spade agree to the recent DirecTV ad that uses a scene from Tommy Boy, starring his departed costar Chris Farley? "To honor Chris's memory," his publicist tells the New York Post —but the $200,000 sources say Spade was paid... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • DirecTV • commercials • celebrity • David Spade • Chris Farley • celebrity death

(Newser) - Times are tough, and for cable and satellite TV companies, that means—more porn. Comcast is following DirecTV's lead and ramping up advertising for adult pay-per-view channels, reports Advertising Age. The spots will generally run on guy channels such as Spike TV and ESPN in the wee hours. Meanwhile, the... More »

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Internet • DirecTV • Comcast • cable TV • pornography • satellite TV • adult films • pay-per-view

ANALYSIS

New Media Make CBS'
$6B NCAA Deal a Slam Dunk

'Crazy' contract could prove savvy

Mar 9, 09 12:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - In 1999, CBS’ $6 billion, 11-year pact with the NCAA for rights to the men’s basketball tournament looked drastically overpriced to many analysts. But with Selection Sunday this weekend, the deal doesn’t seem so crazy, thanks to a prescient addition: new-media rights. CBS has nearly sold out its... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • CBS • basketball • new media • college basketball • streaming video • 2009 NCAA Tournament

 Sirius Seeks White Knight 

Facing massive debt and under siege by a rival, company turns to Liberty Media for help

Feb 12, 09 9:59 AM CST
(Newser) - With $175 million in debt due Tuesday and an unwanted takeover in the offing, Sirius XM Radio is hoping for help from Liberty Media, reports the Wall Street Journal. The satellite radio company is more than $3.25 billion in debt and nearly cashless, yet remains steadfast in its efforts... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • Sirius • Dish Network • EchoStar • John Malone • Liberty Media • Sirius XM • Charles Ergen

Football Goes Mobile on Sprint Phones Tonight

NFL games head to tiny screen

Nov 6, 08 5:19 AM CST
(Newser) - Sprint is about to score big with football fans with the first-ever live broadcast of an NFL game on mobile phones. The debut phone-cast will be tonight's Cleveland Browns showdown with the Denver Broncos. Eight more games from the NFL television network will be available over 7 weeks as part... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • NFL • NFL Network • Verizon • iPhone • NBC Universal • General Electric • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Sprint • digital media • mobile phones

earnings report

Murdoch's
News Corp. Triples Profit

Media conglomerate earns $2.7B, thanks
mainly to DirecTV deal

May 7, 08 5:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate tripled its profit last quarter on improved results from its cable and broadcast networks and the sale of DirecTV, MarketWatch reports. News Corp. earned $2.7 billion, or 91 cents a share, up from $871 million, or 27 cents a share, in the same quarter last... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • Rupert Murdoch • Fox • Juno • Super Bowl XLII • News Corp • 20th Century Fox

Competition for Cable Customers Turns Nasty

The cable wars turn nasty as telcos fight for a beachhead

Apr 28, 08 9:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - The battle for a larger share of TV customers has taken a nasty turn as companies like Time Warner, DirecTV, and Verizon hone ad campaigns highlighting rivals' shortcomings, the Wall Street Journal reports. It's not the first time operators have taken shots at each other, but it signals a ramping-up... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • advertising • Verizon • marketing • Time Warner Cable • AT&T

DirecTV to Get With Times, Add On-Demand

Satellite service will combine DVR, web streaming to deliver it

Mar 13, 08 2:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Challenged by cable and phone-company competitors, DirecTV will offer video-on-demand for the first time, a combination of DVR and broadband-connected content with significant limitations. Because the biggest satellite-TV provider doesn’t use terrestrial connections, it’s been long unable to offer instant play options. Its new plan will store some... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • Comcast • video on demand • DVR • satellite TV • streaming content

Liberty Looks to Leverage DirecTV Deal

In for a tough battle with better positioned telcos, cable companies

Feb 28, 08 9:26 AM CST
(Newser) - Closing Liberty Media’s $12 billion deal for a 41% share of DirecTV took more than a year, but positioning the satellite-TV service to rival telcos and cable companies offering triple-play packages of TV, phone, and broadband could be a bigger test, reports the Wall Street Journal today. The deal... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • cable TV • Verizon • telecom industry • satellite TV • Liberty Media • News Corp • telcos

Comcast, TiVo Team Up
in Boston

National service will roll out later

Jan 22, 08 10:24 AM CST
(Newser) - TiVo and Comcast have rolled out their promised joint service in the Boston area, with national distribution to follow. The service sends TiVo software to Comcast-provided digital video recorders in a first that TiVo hopes to repeat with other cable providers, USA Today reports. TiVo lost hundreds of thousands... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • Comcast • Boston • DVR • digital video • TiVo

Comcast's Growth Slows

Company falls short of several key metrics due to 'challenging economic environment'

Dec 5, 07 2:13 PM CST
(Newser) - Comcast believes its business will fall short of predictions as a declining economy and strengthened competitors slow the cable giant’s growth. The Wall Street Journal reports the firm will add 500K fewer subscribers than it had previously expected, and expects to pay out 5% more in capital spending than... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DirecTV • Comcast • cable TV • housing industry • Brian Roberts • cable industry

(Newser) - DirecTV is turning up the heat on the HDTV competition, claiming it will offer 100 hi-def channels by the end of the year, while current technology limits many cable companies to no more than 20-30. With 55 HD channels already available on the satellite provider, some competitors are trying to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • DirecTV • cable TV • HDTV

Cubans Ignore Static on Illegal TV

Even committed commies crave US satellite shows despite Castro ban

Jul 12, 07 7:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Cubans are turning to black-market satellite TV to watch soap operas, US news and music videos, and even the Chicago White Sox—in defiance of a national ban on the programs, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "If there is censorship, there is business," said one  provider who faces... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • DirecTV • cable TV • Fidel Castro • Cuba • censorship • black market • satellite TV • Committee for the Defense of the Revolution • soap operas • VH1 • boob tube

Apple Courts Studios for Rental Rights

At $3 a pop, 30-day movie loans will pit computer giant against cable, satellite

Jun 11, 07 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Apple is buttering up top movie studios as it prepares to launch a video-on-demand service to contend with cable and satellite companies. Apple plans to offer each movie as a 30-day rental for $2.99, and it's telling studios the term of lease means they won't take a hit on... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Steve Jobs • DirecTV • Comcast • film • Apple • mac • iPod • piracy • DVD • rentals • video on demand • movie on demand • download • movies

Kerry Woos Baseball Vote With Cable Coup

Senator pushes MLB to reach agreement for out-of-market games

Apr 5, 07 8:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - Whatever their politics, baseball fans nationwide can thank John Kerry for encouraging MLB to keep out-of-market games on cable.  Baseball was planning a $700 million exclusive deal with DirecTV that would have forced most fans to switch cable providers, a daunting prospect, before the Massachusetts senator intervened. More »

MORE ABOUT:
sports • In Demand • DirecTV • MLB • John Kerry • cable TV • baseball

Cable Strikes Out With MLB

A war is brewing over out-of-market games. Will the dispute go
into "Extra Innings"?

Mar 22, 07 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Cable subscribers looking to catch out-of-market games next year may be stuck in the outfield: Major League Baseball has rejected a deal with cable company In Demand to carry the popular "Extra Innings" series. In Demand, a major cable conglomerate, says it has matched the $700 million, seven-year DirecTV... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • Madrid bombings • In Demand • Robert Jacobsen • DirecTV • Time Warner • Comcast • Cox • MLB • John Kerry • Commerce Committee • baseball

16 Stories


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