Charlie Chases Cable, DirecTV's NFL Deal

[Steve Mehs]

EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen spent Wednesday's financial conference held in Denver by Janco Partners taking aim at cable efforts to upgrade to new services and products, including Comcast and its billion-dollar acquisition of AT&T Broadband.

In one instance reported by analysts at the conference, Ergen scrutinized Comcast's $400 million investment to upgrade systems in the San Francisco area that cover 1.6 million subscribers. He said that if he had that money, it would've been used to build two satellites that serve 8 million subscribers and can cover 100 percent of U.S. television households.

He then left it to the audience to decide which investment was the best decision.

Ergen also went after DBS competitor DirecTV and its NFL Sunday Ticket deal. He said the sports package would have a negative financial impact, adding that NFL now stands for "no funds left."

In other notes from the conference, EchoStar execs talked about an affordable HD television, with a possible target price of $999. No firm plans have been made on when or if the HD/satellite TV combo would be offered. The HD set was unveiled by the company during January's CES show in Las Vegas.

And the company touted its future EchoStar IX satellite, a hybrid Ka/Ku-Band spacecraft can can offer 320 more channels, 60 local markets, 60 HD offerings, or a combination of all those offerings.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/mar2003/031303.shtm#one) (Used with Permission)

[DmitriA]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
In one instance reported by analysts at the conference, Ergen scrutinized Comcast's $400 million investment to upgrade systems in the San Francisco area that cover 1.6 million subscribers. He said that if he had that money, it would've been used to build two satellites that serve 8 million subscribers and can cover 100 percent of U.S. television households.

On the other hand, if he had more money (oh, I don't know - say $600 million), he would spend it on a merger idea that would be doomed from the start

[Mike123abc]

His $600million probably went to the NFL... how nice get a failed merger and get NFLST paid for (well mostly paid for).

[Karl Foster]

If could have gotten NFLST, he would be touting it as the greatest thing ever for his company. It is all posturing.

[normang]

One can make a slew of arguements for or against the merger, however to predict, even before you try that it was doomed to fail is not possible. I was in the camp that thought the merger was a good idea. Still do.. Cable is to much of a monopoly and the costs to upgrade it are going to cost billions more that cable users are going to wind up paying for. that money could be better spent on a better means of distribution.. Satellite..

[tnsprin]

I am all for 60 hdtv channels!