AT&T COO John Stankey (pictured) insisted the operator doesn’t plan to sell DirecTV, contradicting reports the satellite broadcasting unit might be on the chopping block, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

The executive told WSJ DirecTV remains an integral part of AT&T’s future plans, pointing to the forthcoming launch of a new video streaming service in 2020 which integrates its Time Warner assets.

He added data gleaned from the unit also helps inform AT&T’s targeted advertising effort.

Stankey characterised regular asset reviews as standard operating procedure, noting such assessments are “not unique to DirecTV”.

Last week, WSJ reported AT&T was considering offloading the struggling unit, after shareholder Elliott Management criticised the operator’s decision to purchase the business in 2015. AT&T also faced pressure in the form of a class action lawsuit, which alleged the operator artificially inflated DirecTV’s subscriber figures.

Earlier this month, CEO Randall Stephenson defended the operator’s content strategy, stating it feels the ability to bring together content and network assets will give it a “significant strategic advantage”.