Chief Executive Officer, Directv
Search every verified Bill Morrow interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow discussed the company's acquisition of Dish TV and Sling TV from EchoStar in late June 2025. Morrow stated that the combined entity, with nearly 20 million subscribers, would give DirecTV the influence needed to change carriage agreements with programmers, arguing that "the days of the past of 250 channels are gone" and that consumers do not want to pay for content they do not watch. He described the merger as a move that "buys us some time" and provides the influence to shape the industry, adding that the company plans to offer thinner linear bundles and integrate direct-to-consumer streaming services with a unified user interface. Morrow also addressed the financial aspects of the deal, saying that current bondholders of EchoStar's DBS business would receive a better deal by exchanging their debt for the debt DirecTV is offering, citing better leverage ratios and confidence in the business model. He noted that the initial leverage ratio would be between two and two-and-a-half times, which he said is better than other pay-TV providers, and that the company aims to bring that ratio below two within 12 to 24 months. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals from the FCC and the Department of Justice.
“The influence is going to change that. It is in the interest of the consumers we think it's in the interest of the programmers in the long run and of course to our company as well.”
“We need the two companies to come together because we are falling fast. You've heard this from a number of different industry experts. So this buys us some time, gives us the influence to shape the industry that's all about the consumer and it's going to something to them that they haven't had.”
“The combined entity with just under 20 million subscribers will give us a very needed influence on the industry to work with the programmers to say the days of the past of 250 channels are gone. Consumers don't want to pay for content that they are never going to watch.”
“We think the current bondholders of the DBS business under EchoStar with cash are going to have a better deal by converting and exchanging into the debt that we're offering. We think it will be better leverage ratios than what we see today.”
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