Will DirecTV and Dish Finally Merge? 'It's Hard to Imagine That Regulators Would Block This Deal,' Analyst Says

DirecTV satellite dish.

Shares in Dish Network parent EchoStar climbed 7% in early Monday trading, following reports by Bloomberg that the satellite TV provider is discussing a merger with DirecTV.

It’s not the first time Dish Network-parent EchoStar has entered discussions with DirecTV, with EchoStar chairman Charlie Ergen regularly stating for years that he believes such a tie-up is “inevitable.”