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Without this deal, Dish is facing several upcoming loan payments that it may not have the cash on hand to cover. Industry experts believe that Dish's potential bankruptcy could be just the beginning of a wave of cable TV and satellite providers declaring insolvency over the next four to five years.
"I suspect the next four to 5 years we're going to see multiple cable TV companies declare bankruptcy, especially the midsize ones and the larger ones," the analyst noted. While the largest providers like Comcast may be in a better position due to their diversified business models, smaller and mid-sized companies could struggle to keep up with the decline of traditional television and the rise of alternative streaming options.