AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for nearly $50B

AT&T Inc is in active talks to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV and may complete a deal in the next few weeks that could be worth close to $50 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The talks are the latest sign of a rising tide of potential megadeals in the telecoms, cable and satellite TV space, which is being roiled by Comcast Corp's proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc as well as market forces such as the rise of Web-based TV and surging mobile Internet usage.
Background:
AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for nearly $50 billion: sources [Reuters]
AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for about $50 billion [USA Today]