I loathe AT&T, and now Directv is AT&T. Does this merger affect the terms of my contract? Is there any way to cancel a contract because of a company’s merger?
Yes, sometimes. I worked for an IT outsourcing firm that was acquired by a larger company. One of the clients broke the contract, based on a provision of the contract with the acquired company (my employer). Have you read your contract with DirecTV? What does it say? I suspect that it does not allow you to get out of the contract based on a merger/acquisition.
I have not looked at a Dish Network or AT&T contract specifically, but most contracts of that sort contain an ISAOA clause (It’s Successors And Or Assigns) - meaning that the contract rights on both sides automatically transfers to any successor company. I doubt you’ll be able to cancel as a result of the planned merger.
Hating a business is normally not a valid reason to void a contract.