Directv Company

DirecTV Group Inc., the nation's largest satellite-TV operator with more than 17 million customers, said its third-quarter earnings rose 14%, fueled by growth in subscribers, higher prices and lower capital expenses. "We are in a tough economy and a competitive environment," Chief Executive Chase Carey said. But business has been good so far and, "overall, the impact is marginal," he said. The El Segundo-based company reported net income of $363 million, or 33 cents a share, up from $319 million, or 27 cents, a year earlier.

So here's the deal. You can watch NFL games every Sunday afternoon on CBS and Fox, every Sunday night on NBC. That's kind of the old-fashioned way, accepting what the networks give you, but it doesn't cost anything extra. For the estimated 98 million people in the country who get ESPN as part of basic cable, they also get "Monday Night Football." Plus, at this time of year you also get Saturday football on the networks plus all the pregame and postgame shows full of analysis and NFL chatter.

DirecTV Group Inc. said a new program about a video-game tournament would be available to more than 100 million homes worldwide. DirecTV is in "final discussions" with British Sky Broadcasting and Hong Kong-based Star Asia to air "Championship Gaming Series," the El Segundo-based company said.

DirecTV Group Inc. isn't talking about a possible merger with smaller rival EchoStar Communications Corp. "Let me be clear on where we are today -- there aren't any discussions," DirecTV Chief Executive Charles "Chase" Carey said at an analyst conference in Las Vegas. DirecTV's shares would be worth about $25 each if the company merged with EchoStar, Barron's magazine said Dec. 2, citing Templeton Investments analyst Matthew Nagle. Shares of El Segundo-based DirecTV fell 14 cents to $24.

DirecTV Group Inc. will raise subscription prices by almost 4% on average, aiming to boost revenue yet remain competitive with cable alternatives. The increase will take effect March 1, said the El Segundo-based satellite television provider, which has 15.7 million subscribers. DirecTV's average subscriber paid $72.74 a month for the service in last year's third quarter, the company reported. By limiting price increases, DirecTV aims to boost sales even as cable operators such as Comcast Corp.

Red Sox Nation has spoken. A pending deal by Major League Baseball to put its Extra Innings pay package exclusively on DirecTV may have to be put on hold now, buffeted by an uprising involving baseball's most ardent fans, spearheaded by those who live and die with the Boston Red Sox. MLB expected to announce the deal as early as next week, but that was less certain after Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) on Thursday asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the matter.

Satellite TV company DirecTV Group Inc. was ordered not to broadcast ads in which Jessica Simpson or William Shatner tout the company's high-definition service as superior to Time Warner Cable's. Time Warner Inc.'s cable unit sued in December, claiming that El Segundo-based DirecTV engaged in false advertising on television and the Internet. Stamford, Conn.-based Time Warner Cable, the second-largest U.S.

DirecTV Group Inc., the nation's largest satellite TV operator, said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled as its subscriber base grew and it changed from selling set-top boxes to leasing them. The company also said it was still on track to offer 100 high-definition channels by the end of the year, despite damage done to a key satellite launch platform this month.

A proposed deal by Major League Baseball that would give its Extra Innings pay package exclusively to DirecTV "is imminent," according to two sources close to the negotiations, and could be announced as soon as today. The deal, in which DirecTV would pay MLB $100 million a year over seven years, has been mired in controversy since it was first reported in January. But with opening day only a few weeks away, there is a growing sense of urgency.

The long-anticipated announcement by Major League Baseball to shift its Extra Innings pay package to DirecTV came Thursday -- but with a twist that one high-ranking cable executive called a "sham." MLB President Bob DuPuy said the seven-year agreement with DirecTV -- first reported in January as an exclusive deal -- includes a new provision that would allow the package to remain on cable television and Dish Network if certain criteria are met. But the window to negotiate closes April 1.