![Analysis: AT&T's race against time to save its TV business [telecom]](https://forums.cabling-design.com/media/21495/conversions/60353e774fbb34.66681024-medium.jpg)
By Brian Fung Washington Post
AT&T's push to acquire DirecTV in 2015 looked like brilliance at first. Having captured most of the low-hanging fruit in the telephone and wireless markets already, AT&T's expansion into the television industry promised much more room for growth. By offering DirecTV directly to consumers, AT&T might gain new customers, hang onto old ones and take advantage of viewing data for advertising purposes.
But almost from the beginning, the deal's potential seemed limited by the growing number of consumers who have been abandoning traditional television services. With more Americans embracing online alternatives, AT&T may have inherited in DirecTV - and its 20 million subscribers - a brewing long-term headache that can only be solved by either preventing or compensating for the effects of cord-cutting.