Three Venezuelan nationals working as sales executives for DirecTV have been arrested by Venezuelan authorities, three weeks after AT&T abruptly pulled its satellite TV business out of the country.
Under terms of a license obtained by Dallas-based AT&T from President Nicolas Maduro’s government, DirecTV is required to carry private news network Globovision and state oil-company-backed network PDVSA TV.
AT&T, however, said U.S. sanctions against Venezuela ban transmission of those two networks.
"I hope there is justice in this country," said Carlos Villamizar, VP of strategy for DirecTV, said in a statement made through his lawyer before surrendering himself.
Al Jazeera is among a number of global news outlets to report on this.
Three days after AT&T's May 19 decision to immediately close operations, Venezuela's highest court ordered the seizure of the company's facilities and equipment.
DirectTV's abrupt exit has left two million Venezuelan pay-TV subscribers deprived of the popular Futbol Total program, which was broadcast by DirecTV Sports for Latin America.
The Trump Administration here in the U.S. is currently trying to oust socialist Maduro through what it calls its “maximum-pressure” political campaign.
AT&T joined other U.S. companies, including General Motors, Kellogg and Kimberly-Clark, that have abandoned Venezuela because of what they say are shrinking sales, government threats and the risk of U.S. sanctions.
It might not be these days or tomorrow, but it can be soon. DirecTV-owner AT&T this week admitted that it's far not actively advertising the carrier, which has seen subscribers fall to 16 million from 20 million whilst the organization purchased it for $49 billion in 2015.
AT&T will maintain promoting DirecTV in "greater rural or much less dense suburban areas," John Stankey, the president of AT&T stated at an investor convention. "But in phrases of our advertising muscle and our momentum in the market, it'll be about software-driven pay-TV packages."
Namely, the brand new AT&T TV, which opened nationally this week to negative reviews. "I'd recommend taking a pass," Edward C. Baig stated in his USA TODAY review, because of high pricing, the want for system apartment (for greater than 1 TVand a -year contract. Plus add a few key programming that is lacking, like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and the NFL video games that sports activities fanatics crave on DirecTV.
DIRECTV has been losing clients at an alarming rate.
DirecTV became initially launched in 1994 as a way for rural customers to get TV leisure in areas no longer blanketed through cable however over the years also elevated to urban centers.
The pitch: By putting in a small satellite tv for pc dish at the roof or out of doors the home, clients should get extra channels and a clearer sign, with a heavy emphasis on sports activities. Most notably, "NFL Sunday Ticket," offering "each stay game" throughout the country in one place. The downside: two-yr contracts and system condo.
Phillip Swann, who blogs as the "TV Answer Man" and has included the DirecTV woes extensively, become stunned at the new AT&T offering.
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"This is everything people disliked approximately TV during the last 10 years," he says. "Two-yr contracts, escalating expenses and device to rent. If this was 10 years ago, perhaps AT&T TV could have a shot. But not now."
The ease of streaming options, of smart TVs that connect with the Internet to usher in apps like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, or cheap streaming players just like the Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, which promote for around $25, make the need for gadget condominium a thing of the past.
Indeed, AT&T has its points of interest set at the streaming market, pouring advertising and marketing muscle behind the new HBO Max provider launching in May. It will promote for $14.ninety nine monthly, and include originals and reruns of shows like "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory."
Swann believes that when the NFL deal expires in years, AT&T will either sell DirecTV or shut it down. One prepared customer has already expressed interest, the Dish Network. Owner Charlie Ergen said a merger changed into "inevitable" on a latest earnings call.
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Merging the two services won't stem the tide of cord-slicing, which has hurt satellite organizations more significantly than cable. All told, some 6 million customers ditched satellite tv for pc and cable in 2019, according to Wall Street analyst firm MoffettNathanson.
Dish misplaced 100,000 subscribers within the maximum recent quarter, in comparison to 1.1 million from DirecTV. Dish currently has 9 million subscribers, plus 2.5 million to the streaming cable alternative service Sling TV. AT&T additionally has a streaming provider, AT&T Now (formerly known as DirecTV Now), which has just underneath 1 million subscribers.
Swann believes that together, Dish and DirectTV, with over 25 million subscribers might nonetheless be a force that would keep for numerous greater years.
Sling TV offers diverse packages, all of with a view to circulate the Oscars.
Meanwhile, what are purchasers to do?
DirecTV nevertheless stands. And when you have it now and are in a contract, it will price you cash to exit, so live put.
If you are out of contract, stay in a rural location and are thinking about satellite tv for pc carrier, Dish is a cheaper alternative. It begins at $59.99 month-to-month for carrier on two TVs, compared to DirecTV beginning at $forty nine.ninety nine, but is lacking ESPN and other sports channels, Discovery and cooking channels. To get those and NFL Sunday Ticket, you pay $66.ninety nine month-to-month, but most effective for the first yr. It bumps up to $122.ninety nine monthly for the second 12 months of the contract.
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Dish Network's $59.ninety nine package would not go up in second year and includes ESPN, Discovery and HGTV, missing on the entry-stage DirecTV package.
If you can stay without the sports activities packages, try an antenna. They've become manner extra powerful than they used to be, with integrated tuners. Mohu, which makes the popular Leaf antenna, says it alternatives up indicators as a ways away as 50 miles from the published towers.
You may not get the cable networks, but you will select up the broadcast channels.
YouTube TV comes with ABC.
YouTube TV ($49.99), Hulu with Live TV ($55) and Sling TV ($30) are streaming cable alternatives that include no system condo. But you'll need to live in a place with a good net sign for them to work effectively.
Sports could be a large issue. YouTube TV recently said it would drop programming from the YES Network (which includes the New York Yankees) and Fox Sports nearby channels but ended up reducing a deal for them to remain – almost.
YES Network continues to be dumped, however YouTube ended up retaining onto 19 of the 21 nearby networks. But missing in action could be such high profile groups as the L.A. Clippers, Kings and Angels.
Where can you continue to see them? Hulu with Live TV and, ironically, AT&T's streaming service AT&T Now, which carries the games while AT&T TV does not.
Flipboard's new "clever" magazines.
In other tech information this week
South by using Southwest, the large technology/film/music conference that dominates Austin, Texas every March, became canceled, because of coronavirus fears, joining Google's I/O, Facebook's F8 and the Barcelona Mobile World Congress as casualties.
Flipboard, the famous app for curated information, introduced a $2.99 video news subscription offering, with ad-unfastened clips from the likes of the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Dow Jones. It's special at the beginning for the brand new Samsung S20 telephone and will amplify to different Samsung devices in 3 months.
Google brought a new carrier to read mobile internet pages aloud, via the Google Assistant. Only hitch: You have to own an Android telephone for it to paintings. No word from Google on while it will amplify to Apple iOS telephones as well. Use case: You're driving along and want to hear the modern-day USA TODAY story read to you. We love it.
Many companies have asked employees to work from home during the coronavirus woes. New to telecommuting? We offer 13 suggestions and gear you'll need to use.
So many folks consider that Facebook secretly information us to pair us with customized ads. The Social Network automatically denies it. So how do they work up the ones ads? Through Location Tracking. We explain here.
