In this image released by HBO, Kit Harington appears in a scene from "Game of Thrones." HBO said Thursday that the series will return for its seventh season on Sunday, July 16. (Helen Sloan/HBO via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
"Game of Thrones" will be back in action in July.
HBO said Thursday that the series will return for its seventh season on July 16.
The season will be the next-to-last for the fantasy saga based on George R.R. Martin's novels. It will include seven episodes instead of the usual 10 and is debuting later than seasons past. They had usually begun in spring.
Returning cast members include Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke.
The delayed debut date for "Game of Thrones" means it will miss the deadline for the 2017 Emmy Awards, a contest it routinely dominates. Last year, the drama series scored a dozen Emmys.
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
