RadioShack Corp. said Tuesday that its new agreement with EchoStar
Communications Corp. makes it the first national consumer-electronics retailer
to sell products for both leading direct-broadcast satellite providers.
RadioShack already distributes DirecTV Inc. hardware and programming.
'As the only national retailer offering consumers DirecTV and Dish Network,
we will increase our relevance in the home entertainment marketplace,'
RadioShack CEO Leonard Roberts said in a press release.
In the past, EchoStar has accused DirecTV of using its market power to keep
Dish from competing head-to-head on the retail sales floor.
Two years ago, EchoStar filed suit against DirecTV. The suit was dropped last
fall after EchoStar and DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics Corp. announced plans
to merge.
Dish products are expected to be available in RadioShack stores nationwide by
April.
