DirecTV is accusing satellite rival Dish Network of false advertising
for a TV campaign that claims DirecTV charges substantially more for
"the same programming."
Dish's "Why Pay More" ads, which debuted nationwide Feb. 8, imply
that customers can get the same channels on Dish as DirecTV -- but for
only $39.99 per month from Dish, versus $63.99 per month from DirecTV.
DirecTV filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York, seeking an emergency injunction to stop
the ads, an order requiring Dish to retract its claims and run
corrective ads, and unspecified monetary damages.
Dish's comparison "falsely equates apples and oranges," according to
DirecTV, because its Choice Xtra package -- which is cited in Dish's
comparative ad -- has more than 140 video channels while the Dish
America's Top 120 package offers fewer than 100.
