Facing mounting debt and pressure from activist shareholders, AT&T began a multi-year process to divest itself of its media assets.
: DirecTV also faced heavy losses on its exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket deal, which it eventually lost to streaming competitors. The Exit: Spinoff and Final Sale
In July 2015, AT&T finalized its acquisition of DirecTV for approximately ($67 billion including assumed debt). At the time, the deal made AT&T the largest pay-TV provider in the world, boasting 26 million U.S. customers.
: Between 2015 and 2021, nearly 10 million customers left the service under AT&T's management.