Sky Brazil, controlled by News Corp., grew more in September than in any month since 2000, well-informed sources say. Following the acquisition of Telepiu, News Corp.?s subscriber base in Italy is roughly equal to the sum of Sky and Net in Brazil. This is relevant in light of rumors that News Corp. is increasingly interested in the cable subscribers controlled by Net. The two operators carry the same programming and have adopted attitudes of open competition in recent months, but something seems to be going on behind the scenes. Moreover, the acquisition of Telepiu suggests News Corp. can turn its guns to the U.S. where the Echostar-DirecTV merger looks likely to be stymied by pressure from Congress. Telepiu is the largest DTH operator in Italy, with some 1.25 million subscribers. Telecom Italia took part in the deal alongside News Corp. Stream (Sky), the entity that effected the acquisition, had some 750,000 subscribers. Thus News Corp. now controls 2m subscribers in Italy, with an equity stake of about 80% in Sky.
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