AT&T will not intervene in satellite-television provider DirecTV’s talks over a new rights deal for the NFL American football Sunday Ticket package of programming, according to the US telecommunications company’s chief financial officer, John Stephens.
AT&T’s $48.5bn (€34.9bn) deal to acquire DirecTV was announced on Sunday, but it emerged this week that the telecommunications giant would be able to cancel its takeover if DirecTV is unable to renew its exclusive deal for the Sunday Ticket package.
“DirecTV will be responsible for negotiating the deal. We will have to operate our companies separately,” Stephens said.