Odds have improved that Pac-12 Networks "could land on DirecTV by the start of college football season" after AT&T's takeover of the satellite service provider "was approved by the FCC on Friday," according to Paola Boivin of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The acquisition is "great news for those with DirecTV because the conference has a healthy relationship with the communications giant." A Pac-12 spokesperson said, "Nothing is certain, but there is reason to be very encouraged" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/26). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Emily Steel noted the FCC's approval of AT&T's $48.5B takeover of DirecTV came with "conditions intended to address the potential harms of the merger." The FCC is "requiring AT&T to expand its high-speed, fiber-optic broadband Internet service to 12.5 million customer locations and eligible schools and libraries." That is "about 10 times its current size." The deal is the "biggest media merger this year and will create the country’s largest television distributor with about 26 million subscribers, surpassing Comcast." Other mergers waiting for regulatory approval "include Charter Communication’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks -- deals that together" total $67.1B (N.Y. TIMES, 7/25). In L.A., Meg James noted DirecTV will continue to be managed from El Segundo, Calif., and, "for at least three years, be offered as a stand-alone service." AT&T said that DirecTV customers "won't notice many changes at first." Channel lineup, popular offerings like NFL Sunday Ticket, and billing arrangements "would remain unchanged" (L.A. TIMES, 7/25).
