DirecTV Strikes Back Against Dish

Turnabout is fair play.

DirecTV last month filed a false-advertising suit against Dish Network over a comparative ad (and was denied its request for an emergency injunction to block the ad — see Dish Can Keep Tweaking DirecTV). Now the No. 1 satellite guy is running a TV ad implying that the rival DBS operator is, well, not telling the whole truth.

In the spot, Jeopardy’s Alex Trebek is hosting a game show called “To Tell the Truth” with three contestants: “cable,” DirecTV and Dish. “These television providers claim to offer great value. Judges, who will you believe?” Trebek says.

“We’re the biggest value in entertainment,”  the cable guy says — followed by a huge guffaw in the studio audience.

“We offer the same TV as DirecTV, for less,” the Dish guy says.

The DirecTV rep jumps in: “Does ‘the same’ include channels like AMC, Animal Planet, Bravo, FX –”

“Not in our basic package, like yours,” the Dish rep concedes. The judges give the win to DirecTV, whereupon the clueless cable guy gloats to the Dish dude: “In your face!” Dish guy’s repartee: “In your face!”

Watch the spot, created by ad agency Deutsch Los Angeles: