DirecTV’s terrestrial-cable competitors like Comcast and Time Warner offer home security systems, a logical extension of a business that’s already running wires through and piping information back and forth from customers’ homes. DirecTV decided to get a piece of that very profitable action, and bought an existing alarm company, LifeShield Home Security.

The acquisition makes sense for reasons other than what their competitors are currently doing. They already have a nationwide network of installers and technicians, along with an existing customer base to market home security services to. Even as more Americans begin to realize they might not really need pay TV, no one is downloading alarm services for free over BitTorrent. (Yet.)

LifeShield currently has at least 20,000 customers nationwide.

DirecTV buys LifeShield, joining cable rivals in home-security field [LA Times]
DirecTV’s acquisition of LifeShield a sign of things to come? [Security Info Watch]

Background on LifeShield:
Hagan out to replicate Nutrisystem success at LifeShield [Business Journals]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.