AT&T has agreed to acquire DirecTV for $49 billion. The Wall Street Journal” (http://tinyurl.com/mm2r8kt) says this is “a deal that would make it a major player in pay television and increase its clout with media companies at a time when video consumption is moving online.”

The companies’ board of directors approved the deal on Sunday. The agreement comes just three months after Comcast Corp.’s $45 billion agreement to buy Time Warner Cable.