Summary
- HBO is under pressure due to a premium price point in a suddenly competitive market.
- AT&T is unable to charge a higher price point to include upcoming Turner and Warner content along with HBO.
- Management has made perplexing statements about needing to reorganize a business the company paid a premium to acquire.
- The stock remains a bargain at 9x EPS estimates, but risks are mounting that estimates are cut due to the streaming wars.
AT&T (T) promised that the Time Warner acquisition would make the company a wireless and media power. Approaching three years since the merger agreement following a lengthy regulatory battle, the media portion of the business is still struggling to price their new streaming services, much less market to service. AT&T is on the verge of another mega-deal turning into a disaster.
Source: HBO website
