Satellite TV Offers Deals to Cable Watchers
Satellite television broadcasters DirecTV and EchoStar Communications Corp. plan to offer free equipment and installation this fall to lure customers away from cable companies.
El Segundo-based DirecTV, the No. 1 satellite provider and a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp., plans to offer free installation starting Oct. 15 for customers buying a dish and receiver, according to a letter the company sent retailers last month.
EchoStar, based in Littleton, Colo., began a promotion Friday as part of its Digital Dynamite marketing package. New customers of its DISH Network must pay a $49.99 activation fee plus programming costs to qualify for an offer that ends Dec. 31.
EchoStar’s new package includes a satellite dish, receiver and choice of 100 or 150 channels, said Mary Peterson, vice president of marketing. Customers must pay an additional $4.99 a month for local TV programming and agree to buy programming for one year.
DirecTV said its promotion will run through Jan. 14. A DirecTV satellite dish and receiver costs about $100. The offer will save customers about $100 on the installation, a spokesman said.
EchoStar shares rose $4.31 to close at $53.06 on Nasdaq, and shares of Hughes, a unit of General Motors Corp., rose 80 cents to close at $34.81 on the New York Stock Exchange.
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