AT&T declined to comment. CFO John Stephens previously said that merging DirecTV and Dish would be unlikely "from a regulatory perspective."

While the reasoning for such a move wasn't available as we wrote this, it's no secret that DirecTV has been bleeding customers for a while, even in its promising DirecTV Now (changed to AT&T TV Now) streaming service. Combined, AT&T's TV services lost 938,000 subscribers in the spring quarter alone. While DirecTV still contributes a substantial amount to AT&T's bottom line, its future doesn't look good in an era when more and more people are ditching conventional TV.

AT&T has also been reducing its dependence on DirecTV for a while. Between AT&T TV Now, HBO Max, Watch TV and the upcoming AT&T TV, viewers won't be hurting for streaming choices. The carrier might not miss DirecTV if it can rack up enough online subscribers.