HBO still dark on Dish

Dish Network has been involved in carriage fee disputes before, but this one is notable because it comes just months after Time Warner, which includes HBO, was acquired by AT&T--a mega-merger the Justice Department tried to stop. The reason for the lawsuit in the first place was the U.S. government alleging that such a merger would hurt competition, but they didn't actually use this line of reasoning in the the trial. And while Dish is known for playing hardball in these kinds of negotiations, HBO points out that Dish has done a poor job of signing up subscribers compared to other cable providers. Plus, in the age of streaming, people who really want HBO can sign up for standalone HBO Now, or go via DirecTV...which is owned by AT&T.