In this Monday, March 16, 2015 file photo, Will Ferrell walks the red carpet for the world premiere of "Get Hard" during the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
The fate of a Lifetime TV movie featuring Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig remained unclear on Friday after the project's secrecy was spoiled.
Lifetime confirmed on Thursday that the former "Saturday Night Live" stars had taped the ominously titled "A Deadly Adoption," playing a couple who befriend a pregnant woman in hopes of adopting her child.
After word got out, Ferrell issued a statement that he and Wiig had decided it was best to forego a project they had labeled "top secret."
Michael Feeney, spokesman for Lifetime's corporate parent, A&E Networks, said Friday that it's a disappointment that news was leaked, and that "the network is in the process of deciding what to do with the project." Earlier, the network had said it would air this summer.
Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.
The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.
DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.
"While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.
The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.
The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.
DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More
