DirecTV and Dish in Terminal Orbit? Their Satellites Are About to Age Out

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

DirecTV and Dish in Terminal Orbit? Their Satellites Are About to Age Out

The two legacy satellite TV operators face an existential crisis that even a merger won't fix

www.nexttv.com

Forget their declining subscriber bases, DirecTV and Dish Network face an even graver existential threat--their collective fleet of satellites are facing the end of their operational lifespans.


"Dish launched its last satellite, EchoStar XXIII, more than five years ago," MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a note to investors, published earlier this week.

"Of their 11 operating satellites, only two are less than a decade old. Each of Dish's satellites has an estimated useful life of about 15 years. In another five and a half years, only one of their 11 satellites will still be inside its estimated useful lifespan," Moffett added. Technically, the 5.5 metric-ton communications satellite known as EchoStar XXIII was put into orbit by SpaceX in March of 2017, putting it around five months past its fourth birthday. But Moffett's larger point is taken.

A factor here is streaming and some of their Satellites are over a decade old according to the article.

 

[KeithE4]

AT&T made it clear a few years back that once the satellites die, they die, and they gave it another 10-15 years before they were all gone.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Dish Chief Speaks Out On DIRECTV Merger - The TV Answer Man!

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen yesterday reiterated that he thinks a Dish-DIRECTV merger is “inevitable” and perhaps more likely now than ever. “In terms of DIRECTV and Dish, I mean, obviously, I’ve said it the last year, I think that those two companies go together, that’s inevitable,” Ergen told...

tvanswerman.com

There were talks on a rumored merger between Dish and Directv.

 

[Will_H_69_9]

i think in the next 5 to 10 years, Satellite TV will be replaced by a new satellite based streaming TV platform where the connection is still satellite based, but instead of traditional cable TV via satellite dishes, it will be internet connection solely from a satellite dish that gets 5G or modern high speed internet speeds capable enough to allow you to stream TV, but i know Satellite internet is really a thing right now, but i mean the future of satellite TV will be a satellite that is internet based that is only connected to set-top boxes that only connect to the satellite internet and you can't hook a computer or traditional internet router to it to connect to devices like tablets, smart phone, smart devices that need internet to work or computers that is wi-fi ready, it only needs a special DVR-like box that is a server box to the other boxes in other rooms of a home just like the whole home DirecTV Genie or Dish Hopper DVR systems that both providers have.

 

[Don CT]

i think in the next 5 to 10 years, Satellite TV will be replaced by a new satellite based streaming TV platform where the connection is still satellite based, but instead of traditional cable TV via satellite dishes, it will be internet connection solely from a satellite dish that gets 5G or modern high speed internet speeds capable enough to allow you to stream TV, but i know Satellite internet is really a thing right now, but i mean the future of satellite TV will be a satellite that is internet based that is only connected to set-top boxes that only connect to the satellite internet and you can't hook a computer or traditional internet router to it to connect to devices like tablets, smart phone, smart devices that need internet to work or computers that is wi-fi ready, it only needs a special DVR-like box that is a server box to the other boxes in other rooms of a home just like the whole home DirecTV Genie or Dish Hopper DVR systems that both providers have.

They need to work on the bandwidth and latency issue before this is even remotely a thing.