 | |
| Formerly | Galaxy Latin America Investments, LLC (1994–2000)[1] DirecTV Latin America, LLC (2000–2018) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1994; 32 years ago (1994) |
| Headquarters | , United States[citation needed] |
| Products | Satellite television |
| Parent | Grupo Werthein |
| Subsidiaries | DirecTV Argentina DirecTV Chile DirecTV Colombia DirecTV Ecuador DirecTV Peru DirecTV Uruguay Sky Brasil Torneos (65%) |
| Website | vriocorp.com at theWayback Machine (archived 2022-04-27) |
Vrio Corp. (formerlyDirecTV Latin America LLC; stylized asVгio.) is an American-headquartered company that manages the commercial operations of the Latin American branch ofDirecTV (mostly known as DirecTV Latin America). It produces TV content and owns several TV channels.[2][3]
As of November 2021, it is owned byGrupo Werthein fromArgentina.[4] In 2025, Vrio has become part of Werthein's media and techholding company Waiken ILW.[5]
In 1994,Hughes Electronics Corporation and Venezuelan media companyGrupo Cisneros create a joint venture named Galaxy Latin America, a company intended to distribute DirecTV services in 27 Latin American countries, initially with an offer of 144 channels.[6] In the following years, it enters the Chilean market and then it was launched in Mexico.[7]
In 2000, Galaxy Latin America LLC was renamed as DirecTV Latin America LLC.[1] On December 19, it announced its exclusive rights for both2002 and2006 World Cups, valid for Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay.[8] The following year, it announced the creation of a pop-up channel to cover the World Cup in full, with interactive functions, for Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, produced by Venevision International.[9] On September 24, 2001, it launched inUruguay.[10][11]
In late 2003, now-defunctNews Corporation acquired a controlling stake of 34% in Hughes Electronics for US$6 billion, which included a portion of DirecTV Latin America.[12] As News Corp. already had similar operations across Latin America, it was announced a merge in the following year, which consisted on combining DirecTV and Sky operations in the region.[13]Sky México andSky Brasil absorbed their DirecTV counterparts and their customers, while the Sky brand was defunct in Argentina, Chile and Colombia, as well as other countries, in favor of DirecTV.[13]
In 2005, Grupo Cisneros sold its 14% stake on DirecTV Latin America to The DirecTV Group Inc.[14] DirecTV was later exchanged for shares toLiberty Media in 2008,[15] spun-off into aseparate company in 2009[16] and then bought byAT&T in 2015.[17][18]
On January 17, 2016, the Secretary of Environment ofBogotá, sanctioned DirecTV's Colombian subsidiary, Directv Colombia Ltda., with a sum of$118 million for placing advertisement without the proper permission from the city.[19] The company violated Decree 959, published in 2000, that regulates where companies can place public publicity.
On September 15, 2017,Reuters reported that AT&T, the owner of DirecTV's U.S. and Latin American divisions, had hired an advisor to consider offeringDirecTV Latin America on the public stock market.[20] The principal motive was cited as the need to reduce the debt load AT&T would assume if it took overTime Warner as planned.[20] Since that date, the U.S. Dept. of Justice filed suit to block that acquisition on antitrust grounds, a trial is scheduled to start on 19 March 2018 before Judge Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and a decision is not expected before June–July. However, even if the deal is blocked, AT&T might dispose of the division as not core to its business.
The initial public offering of the new company called Vrio Corp., which would consist of the Latin America assets of DirecTV, was announced on March 7, 2018.[21] On April 19 of that same year, the IPO was cancelled hours before the new stock was to start trading.[22] The AT&T subsidiary's Vrio branding has been kept since then.
On May 19, 2020, the company ceased operations in Venezuela, due toUS sanctions against pro-Maduro TV channelsGlobovisión andPDVSA TV in 2019. These channels require mandatory transmission imposed by the telecommunications commission of Venezuela, CONATEL, while the US sanctions simultaneously block the transmission of these channels.[23][24]
On July 21, 2021, AT&T Latin America announced that they would sell Vrio toGrupo Werthein, which will include all DirecTV operations in Latin America andSKY Brasil (while keeping the broadband operations in Colombia and their stake atSky México).[25] The sale was completed on November 16, 2021.[4][26]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: details about more countries. You can help byadding missing information.(December 2025) |
SKY Brasil operates a subscription television service in Brazil since 1996.[27] It received DirecTV Brazilian customers in 2006.[13]
The Chilean subsidiary of DirecTV has operated in the country since 1994, but only started distributing DirecTV to customers after getting permission from the government in 1996.[7] It absorbed Sky Chile into its operations in 2006, which had been launched in 1998.[7][13] It signed an agreement with GTD Manquehue to offer full telephone, television, and internet services throughout the country.[28]
In 2012, it made an agreement withClub Deportivo Universidad Católica to carry the brand name DirecTV on their jerseys.[29] In 2014, it made an agreement withLiga Nacional de Básquetbol de Chile[citation needed] and, in 2015, with the association football clubColo-Colo, to also carry the DirecTV logo.[30]
As of 2024, DirecTV had a 18.2% market share in Chile pay TV, according to Subtel.[31]
DirecTV used to operate in Mexico, but was merged with Sky México in a 2006 reestructure.[13] Its assets are no longer part of Vrio since the company was sold to Grupo Werthein, in a deal that didn't include Sky México.[4]
DSports is a group of sports channels[year needed] that are exclusive to DirecTV subscribers, featuring primarily association football, basketball, cycling and combat sports.[citation needed]
DNews is a news channel that was launched in 2022, whose programming is based on newscasts and journalistic programs in partnership with other international outlets such asDeutsche Welle,BBC,AFP,Reuters andEuropa Press.[32]
On August 4, 2023, DNews would celebrate its first year of existence with an event held at the channels headquarters inBuenos Aires with involvement of high personality participating in the event.[33]
OnDirecTV is a entertainment channel[year needed] that airs series, movies, documentaries, musical events andbeauty pageants exclusively for its subscribers.[citation needed]
DGO (previously known as DirecTV Go) and Sky+ are over-the-top video streaming services that includes both linear channels and video on demand. The service was launched in 2018 in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.[citation needed] In 2019, the service was expanded to Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, then Mexico and Brazil in 2020.[citation needed]
DirecTV satellite subscribers have free access to the service, but Sky Mexico and Sky Brazil subscribers do not. On October 11, 2022, DirecTV Go was rebranded as DGO.[34] On December 6, 2023, DGO was rebranded as Sky+ only in Brazil.[35]
DIRECTV, que en alianza con GTD Manquehue ofrece el producto triconexión (Banda Ancha, TV de Pago vía Satelital y Telefonía local)[DIRECTV, which in partnership with GTD Manquehue offers the triple connection product (Broadband, Pay TV via Satellite and Local Telephone)]