DirecTV Inc. signed a new five-year set-top-box deal with Thomson Consumer Electronics that includes Thomson buying Hughes Network Systems' set-top-manufacturing assets for $250 million.
Thomson said it will help DirecTV to build new set-tops, including HDTV and digital-video-recorder boxes.
The pact also provides incentives to DirecTV based on revenues and set-top order volume to Thomson over the five-year period that could increase the amount paid by Thomson to as much as $400 million, the companies said.
