Turner CEO John Martin Slams AT&T’s DirecTV: ‘Not That Good’

Exec blasts satellite business run by Turner’s soon-to-be parent company AT&T at Code Media conference

Turner CEO John Martin
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Don’t expect Turner CEO John Martin to praise DirecTV just because he might be working under the same corporate roof soon enough.

Speaking at the Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, Martin took a shot at DirecTV — while its parent company, AT&T, works through a pending merger with Turner parent, Time Warner.

“I have DirecTV, I live in Beverly Hills. It’s not that good,” said Martin.

Surely AT&T shareholders and execs were thrilled to hear Martin’s assessment of the satellite service. Martin also said major telecom companies have “let us down” when it comes to delivering a quality consumer experience.

Martin didn’t hold back when talking about the AT&T-Time Warner merger, either, saying, “government is clueless.”

The $85 billion deal — combining one of the largest internet and subscription TV businesses with Time Warner’s arsenal of content, including Turner — was first announced in October 2016. Antitrust officials from the Department of Justice sued to block the deal last November, arguing the combined company could jack up prices on consumers.

At CES last month in Las Vegas, Martin said he was “hopeful” the deal would be approved.

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