DirecTV notified EchoStar Corp. of its intention to terminate an acquisition of Dish Network Corp. after bondholders failed to consent to a key debt exchange, all but killing a deal to create the largest US pay-TV service.

The whole reason Dish was pursuing a sale is because the company is utterly riddled with debt; DirecTV was going to buy Dish for $1 and assume its debt of $9.75 billion. Presumably, everyone knew those figures going in,

A tie-up meant to help struggling satellite-TV companies is falling apart after creditors balked at a proposal to cut into their holdings.