DirecTV shareholders approve AT&T deal

Shareholders of DirecTV have approved a takeover of the satellite-television provider by US telecommunications company AT&T.

Ninety-nine per cent of votes cast were in favour of the $45bn (€35.3bn) deal.

If the takeover is approved by regulators, the deal is likely to be closed in the first half of 2015.

The transaction hinges on the completion of DirecTV’s proposed deal with American football’s NFL for the Sunday Ticket rights package.

Earlier this month, DirecTV said that it expected to seal an extension to the Sunday Ticket deal beyond the 2014-15 season. The out-of-market subscription package, which was launched by DirecTV in 1994, allows subscribers to access Sunday afternoon games broadcast by US networks CBS and Fox.

Under the terms of AT&T’s takeover deal for DirecTV, AT&T is able to cancel the transaction if the Sunday Ticket deal is not renewed.