Amazon and Dish Network: A Match in the Making?

For years Dish Network Corp. DISH 1.00% Chief Executive Charlie Ergen has sought out deals and partnerships with just about every major telecom company, from Sprint Corp. S -2.31% to T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS -0.83% to AT&T Inc. --so far, to no avail. Now, the satellite-television mogul is turning his attention to the technology world and a new--and somewhat surprising--potential partner has emerged: Amazon.com The two men--eccentric billionaires with geek tendencies and shared interest in space and robotics--have gotten to know each other better over the past year and have discussed a partnership to enter the wireless business, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the ideas: Amazon could help finance a network Dish is building focused on the "Internet of Things"--the idea that everything from bikes to Amazon's drones can have web connectivity everywhere. Another idea is that Amazon, as a founding partner of Dish's new wireless network, could offer an option for Prime members to pay a little more a month for a connectivity or phone plan, one of the people said.