Telecom operator AT&T (NYSE:T) and joint-venture partner TPG Capital (NASDAQ:TPG) are in talks to merge their DirecTV service with EchoStar's (NASDAQ:SATS) Dish, Bloomberg reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Telecom operator AT&T and its joint-venture partner TPG are in early-stage talks to merge their DirecTV satellite TV service with EchoStar owned Dish, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The potential deal would likely attract antitrust scrutiny again although it might be able to clear regulatory hurdles this time as the industry has expanded substantially since then and DirecTV and Dish now compete against the likes of Comcast ,

AT&T Inc and joint-venture partner TPG Inc are in talks to combine their DirecTV service with Dish, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions between DirecTV and Dish parent EchoStar Corp are in early stages,