Dish Network

Blockbuster to Shutter About 300 More Stores, Lay Off 3,000

The video-rental chain Blockbuster plans to close about 300 stores across the country, losing about 3,000 employees. The closures will leave about 500 Blockbuster locations in the U.S. In 2011, Dish Network bought then-bankrupt Blockbuster for $320 million.

Dish Network Offers $5.15 Billion for Clearwire

Satellite TV provider Dish Network is offering to buy wireless network operator Clearwire %u2014 which agreed to sell itself to Sprint in December %u2014 for $3.30 per share, or $5.15 billion. Sprint, which owns 51 percent of Clearwire, said it would have to sign off on Dish's unsolicited offer and that it does not intend to do so.

7 Business Battles That Bruised Consumers in 2012

Companies get into fights all the time: in the courts, through their advertising, in contract negotiations with partners, and even with their own workers. To some extent, it's just business as usual -- but when those fights escalate, it's often consumers who feel the pain.

Are Comic Books a Smart Investment?

Rising enthusiasm for comic books has led some to view them as an investment like rare baseball cards or stamps. There's good reason for this: History shows that hard-to-find comics can command huge sums. But should you put your money in the hands of superheroes?

Dish Network Still Has a Problem

Dish Network needed this week's deal that will allow it to continue broadcasting local television channels in some of Gannett's markets, but it's just one less problem that the company has to tackle.

Verizon Pays TiVo $250.4 Million to Settle Patent Lawsuit

Verizon will pay Tivo at least $250.4 million to settle a patent lawsuit related to its DVR technology. The companies agreed to dismiss all pending litigation, and have inked a licensing deal. The news sent shares of the digital video recording pioneer up more than 7% Monday morning.

Why Viacom Will Never Be Great Again

If you've been noticing a little bit less of SpongeBob on Nickelodeon, Snooki on MTV, or Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, it's by design: Viacom is squeezing more commercials into every hour of programming. That's the bad news. The worse news is that it's not working.

DVDs Are Dying: Can Anything Rescue Hollywood?

DVDs -- and even their more modern Blu-ray siblings -- are gradually fading to black, as VHS and LaserDisc did before them. Movie studios have seen this coming for some time. Problem is, it's part of a bigger trend they may not be able to overcome.

Apologetic Netflix Gives Holiday Gift to DVD Watchers

Netflix wants to thank you for your loyalty. The beleaguered video rental giant is offering subscribers to its DVD plans an extra disc this month. No catch, no bait and switch: Just a straight good will gesture after a year of missteps.

Something Surprising Pops Up at TiVo

TiVo is finally clicking the green"thumbs up" button for its shareholders again. The digital video recorder pioneer ended its fiscal third quarter with 117,000 more subscribers than it started with -- its first gain in four years.

5 Things to Watch: From Food Stocks to Black Friday

The holiday shopping season officially kicks off on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Actually, make that during Thanksgiving for some retailers. Here's a rundown of some of the items that will shape this holiday week.

Google May Be Your Next Cable Television Provider

If you're fed up with escalating cable bills, fuzzy satellite TV reception, and unresponsive customer service, Google is starting to think inside the box: The world's leading search engine may be ready to launch a broadband television service as early as next year.

3 Stocks that May Heat Up Thanks to Netflix's Meltdown

Shares of Netflix are down nearly 50% year to date for a variety of reasons: The loss of its popular Starz content, the price hikes, and the infamous Qwikster debacle. But online video is still a hot market. Here's a closer look at three companies that could profit from Netflix's missteps.

Why Comcast Will Never Be Great Again

It isn't easy being a cable and Internet service provider these days. Consumers are turning to cheaper options, and they're tired of paying for channels they never watch. Networks are demanding more money. Add in performance issues, it's no surprise cable companies and wireless carriers among the country's most hated companies.

Blockbuster Express Price Hike Hits Home for DVD Renters

Recession-weary Americans trying to save on home entertainment just took another punch in their DVD slots. Blockbuster Express just became the third major distributor to increase its video prices recently -- doubling the fee to rent its semi-new releases to $2 as of Tuesday.

Satellite Wars: DIRECTV is Defeating DISH

Everything is right in the universe for DIRECTV, given this weekend's successful kickoff of the new pro football season. DIRECTV subscribers know that there are alternatives out there, but that's not going to sway the couch potatoes, all 30 million of them. Not even rival DISH can eclipse our largest entertainment subscription service.

Comcast's Next Big Battle May Be in Its Backyard

Comcast has a tight grip on Philadelphia sports fans with its SportsNet Philadelphia channel, which has been the exclusive carrier of games from the Phillies, Flyers and 76ers. But now Comcast will have to make the channel available to satellite-TV providers, thanks to FCC-approved terms of its deal for NBC Universal.

Fox Channels Go Dark on Cablevision: Baseball Playoff Broadcasts at Risk

News Corp.'s Fox has pulled its channels off Cablevision after a programming deal expired at midnight Saturday. The move means 3 million viewers in Philadelphia and New York could miss the first game in the National League Championship Series between the Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.

TiVo Shares Zapped By Court Decision

Two months ago, a court ruling sent TiVo's stock soaring. On Friday, a federal appeals court decision had the opposite effect, sending the stock down 40%.