Forget the slate announcement from Ballmer at CES – look for Microsoft and AT&T to announce a purchase

There’s been a lot of skuttlebutt in the lead up to this years CES in Las Vegas about Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer using his keynote speech to present to the world their innovative take on the slate computer that everyone is drooling over in anticipation of Apple’s upcoming event.

However my good buddies over at SiliconAngle have a post up that says the real news that will come out of Ballmer’s keynote speech tonight is going to be the announcement, along with AT&T, of the purchase of DIRECTV.

From the post by John Furrier at SA we get this

According to an industry source AT&T along with support from Microsoft will announce at CES that they are buying DIRECTV. I have not heard of an amount yet. I am actively trying to confirm.

Based upon a reliable industry source, AT&T will purchase DIRECTV with support from Microsoft. Microsoft would be contributing money to secure the rights for their technology to power the backend of AT&T DIRECTV.

AT&T .. the company that can’t even keep their wireless business in New York and San Fran from being quoted as being sub-par wants a piece of DIRECTV?

I’m not saying that this couldn’t happen but seriously … why?