<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
     xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
     xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
     xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
     xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
     xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss"
     xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#"
     xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/">
    <channel>
        <title><![CDATA[Prominent analyst skeptical of AT&T/DirecTV sale reports]]></title>
        <atom:link href="https://usagag.com/2020/08/31/prominent-analyst-skeptical-of-att-directv-sale-reports/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <link>https://usagag.com/2020/08/31/prominent-analyst-skeptical-of-att-directv-sale-reports/</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2020 16:07:45 +0000</lastBuildDate>
        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
        <generator>https://usagag.com</generator>
        <media:content url="/uploads/2020/08/prominent-analyst-skeptical-of-attdirectv-sale-reports.jpg" medium="image">
            <media:title type="html">Prominent analyst skeptical of AT&T/DirecTV sale reports</media:title>
        </media:content>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Telecom giant AT&amp;T may be trying to unload struggling satellite TV provider DirecTV, but shareholders shouldn&#8217;t expect a sale anytime soon, one prominent analyst warned.</p><p>AT&amp;T has &#8220;overvalued&#8221; the &#8220;albatross&#8221; that is DirecTV, leading to skepticism that suitors circling the assets will actually reach a deal, Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson said on Monday.</p><p>Moffett said AT&amp;T is valuing DirecTV at $20 billion even as it <strong>hemorrhages subscribers</strong>&nbsp;as more <strong>TV watchers cut the cord</strong>. The pay TV firm, which has about 17.7 million subscribers, is losing an &#8220;astounding&#8221; 18 percent of its subscribers every year, Moffett said.</p><p>Moffett&#8217;s warning follows a report from The Wall Street Journal on Friday that AT&amp;T has resumed deal talks with private equity firms, including Apollo Global Management and Platinum Equity.</p><p>But Moffett notes that &#8220;the idea has been floated repeatedly over the past year or so, both with and without a Dish Network merger.&#8221; And he said: &#8220;Speculation from a year ago even featured the same potential buyers, most notably Apollo, mentioned in Friday’s article.&#8221;</p><p>AT&amp;T looking to sell the assets as the coronavirus crimps its entertainment business. It&#8217;s <strong>bought DirecTV in 2015</strong> for $49 billion and Time Warner, now called WarnerMedia, for <strong>$85.4 billion in 2018,</strong> and carries a lot of debt on its books from those purchases.</p><p>Currently, AT&amp;T is in the process of <strong>reorganizing WarnerMedia</strong> and its all-important streaming service HBO Max, which it <strong>launched on May 27</strong>.</p><p>AT&amp;T declined to comment.</p>]]></content:encoded>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[USAGAG]]></dc:creator>
            </channel>
</rss><!--Time: 0.067367076873779-->