Court Denies DirecTV Temporary Restraining Order Against Dish

A federal court denied DirecTV's request for a temporary restraining order against Dish Network seeking to block Dish's "Why Pay More" ad campaign, which the larger satellite operator alleged made a false comparison. DirecTV on Feb. 11 filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking an emergency injunction to stop the ads, an order requiring Dish to retract its claims and run corrective ads, and unspecified monetary damages. The court on Tuesday denied DirecTV's request for an injunction and found that DirecTV failed to prove a "likelihood of success on the merits." DirecTV accused the No. 2 satellite rival of false advertising for the "Why Pay More" ads, which imply that customers can get a comparable channel lineup from Dish but for only $39.99 per month, versus $63.99 per month from DirecTV.