The No. 1 satellite company warns broadcasters that their rush to raise retransmission consent fees could backfire. DirecTV’s outlays to broadcast stations are up 50% this year, and that’s “not sustainable,” CEO Mike White told analysts today. If prices “continue to explode, then customers are going to demand other alternatives.” And DirecTV has done some R&D work to see whether it could offer broadcast TV the way Aereo does — using antennas to tap free over-the-air transmissions, without paying stations.
DirecTV Group expects to add significantly in excess of 200,000 net new subscribers in the United States in the current quarter, Chief Executive Mike White said today. The company is on course to have more than 19.1 million subs by year-end, closing in on Comcast Corp’s shrinking leadership in the U.S. pay TV sector, White said at DirecTV’s Investor Day.
