Satellite TV Firms Offer Deals to Lure Customers From Cable
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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 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.
