DirecTV is Gearing Up For Football Season

Back in the old days satellite TV meant having a dish that took up half of your backyard. Then DirecTV introduced modern satellite dishes that were more reliable and not much bigger than a large plate.

DirecTV has maintained a competitive advantage over cable television by reaching homes that were off the cable grid. In addition, their signal was all digital, which meant better picture quality.
But cable is meeting the competition head-on by switching to digital signals lately, and presenting a serious threat with what they call the "triple-play" -- the ability to offer phone, TV and Internet service in one package.

In response to these new offers DirecTV Satellite has responded by partnering with some telecom companies to offer its own version of the triple-play. It's also trying to offer more exclusive content to distance itself from cable and its more closely related competitor - EchoStar.

One of their special Satellite TV incentives is to offer every Sunday football game with their "Sunday Football Ticket." This offer was suppose to end this year, but the contract has been extended until the year 2010. The football season is the busiest period for new sign-ups and the football specials on Satellite TV are a big attraction. Investors watch closely the late summer season for signs of growth and potential revenue.

Financial analysts expect DirectTV to post its first quarterly profit since it changed its name from Hughes Electronics Corp. in early 2004. But overall the stock is down about 8 percent so far this year. DirecTV is looking for a hit to boost it's earnings.