BUSINESS BRIEFING / MEDIA

Liberty Media Corp.’s chief executive said a sale of DirecTV Group Inc. to a phone company was possible after the satellite TV operator’s planned spinoff.

Greg Maffei said phone companies could have strategic reasons for buying El Segundo-based DirecTV. They could be interested in acquiring DirecTV for the ability to offer video nationally along with Internet and phone services to better compete with cable TV operators, which have been luring customers with such “triple play” packages.

Liberty Media, which owns a controlling stake in DirecTV, said Monday that it would merge its entertainment unit with DirecTV and spin that off as a separate company. Afterward, Maffei and Liberty Chairman John Malone are expected to stay on DirecTV’s board.