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Description of Business
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Description of Business  
Description of Business

 

Note 1: Description of Business

        DIRECTV, which we also refer to as the Company, we, or us, is a leading provider of digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. We operate two direct-to-home, or DTH, business units; DIRECTV U.S. and DIRECTV Latin America, which are differentiated by their geographic locations and are engaged in acquiring, promoting, selling and distributing digital entertainment programming primarily via satellite to residential and commercial subscribers. In addition, we own and operate two regional sports networks, and also own non-controlling interests in two others, ROOT SPORTS™ Northwest and ROOT SPORTS Houston. We own a 42% interest in Game Show Network LLC, or GSN, a television network dedicated to game-related programming and Internet interactive game playing. We account for our investment in ROOT SPORTS Northwest, ROOT SPORTS Houston and GSN using the equity method of accounting.

DIRECTV U.S.  DIRECTV Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries, which we refer to as DIRECTV U.S., is the largest provider of DTH digital television services and the second largest provider in the multi-channel video programming distribution industry in the United States.

DIRECTV Latin America.  DIRECTV Latin America Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries, or DIRECTV Latin America, is a leading provider of DTH digital television services throughout Latin America. DIRECTV Latin America is comprised of: PanAmericana, which provides services in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and certain other countries in the region, and Sky Brasil Servicos Ltda., or Sky Brasil, which is a 93% owned subsidiary. DIRECTV Latin America also includes our 41% equity method investment in Innova, S. de R.L. de C.V., or Sky Mexico, which we include in the PanAmericana and Other segment.

DIRECTV Sports Networks.  DIRECTV Sports Networks LLC and its subsidiaries, or DSN, is comprised primarily of two wholly owned regional sports networks based in Denver, Colorado and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and two regional sports networks based in Seattle, Washington and Houston, Texas in which DSN retains a noncontrolling interest, each of which operates under the brand name ROOT SPORTS. As further discussed in Note 4 below, we acquired a noncontrolling interest in the regional sports network based in Houston, Texas, or Houston Sports Holdings, LLC, or HSH, in the fourth quarter of 2014, which we account for using the equity method of accounting. The operating results of DSN are reported as part of the "Sports Networks, Eliminations and Other" reporting segment.

Proposed AT&T Merger Transaction

        On May 18, 2014, DIRECTV and AT&T Inc., or AT&T, announced that they entered into a definitive agreement under which DIRECTV will combine with AT&T in a stock and cash transaction. The Agreement and Plan of Merger, which was included as Exhibit 2.1 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 19, 2014, or the Merger Agreement, was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors of each company and was approved by our stockholders at a special meeting held on September 25, 2014.

        Subject to the conditions in the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger, our shareholders will receive $95.00 per share, subject to adjustments as described below under the terms of the merger, comprised of $28.50 per share in cash and $66.50 per share in AT&T stock. The stock portion will be subject to a collar such that our shareholders will receive 1.905 AT&T shares if AT&T stock price is below $34.90 at closing and 1.724 AT&T shares if AT&T stock price is above $38.58 at closing. If AT&T stock price at closing is between $34.90 and $38.58, our shareholders will receive a number of shares between 1.724 and 1.905, equal to $66.50 in value based on a volume-weighted average as provided in the Merger Agreement. The value of the shares may differ on the date of exchange. The transaction is subject to review by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. The transaction has been reviewed and approved by Brazil telecommunications and Mexican antitrust authorities. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2015.

        In connection with the proposed combination, we have made certain representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement, including, among other things, covenants by DIRECTV to conduct its business in the ordinary course during the interim period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and consummation of the merger and not to take certain actions prior to the closing of the merger without the prior approval of AT&T.

        Also, during the third quarter of 2014, we entered into an agreement with the National Football League, or NFL, to renew and extend our rights to exclusively distribute the NFL Sunday Ticket service, or the NFL Agreement. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, AT&T had the right to terminate the Merger Agreement or not consummate the merger if we failed to enter into a contract with the NFL providing for exclusive distribution rights for "NFL Sunday Ticket" service. AT&T has confirmed to us that the NFL Agreement satisfies the requirements of the Merger Agreement.