Already, Ergen has hinted that he might revisit a merger with DirecTV, after the blocked 2002 effort hit the company's finances. As AT&T was seeking approval of its $39 billion T-Mobile merger bid, Ergen said a regulatory approval of that deal would pave the way for a Dish - DirecTV tie-up. "If that merger is allowed to go forward, then I don't think there'd be any problem with us merging with DirecTV," Ergen said a year ago, on a third quarter 2011 conference call with analysts.