Shareholders on Thursday approved the combination of DirecTV Group Inc. with other Liberty Media Corp. entertainment businesses as part of a new company called DirecTV.

El Segundo-based DirecTV Group Inc., which is the nation’s largest satellite-TV provider and second-largest pay-TV provider, will become part of a new company that includes FUN Technologies, an online provider of interactive, casual and fantasy sports games. The combination also includes three regional sports networks and Game Show Network.

After the shareholder meeting, Liberty Media Chairman John Malone discouraged speculation that separation of his DirecTV Group stake from Liberty Media could clear the way for DirecTV’s sale to a big phone company looking to increase its service bundling power. Malone told the Associated Press that he could see DirecTV collaborating more closely with phone companies to offer Internet and phone service in competition with cable TV operators, but said a sale is “speculation.”

DirecTV Group shares closed up 46 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $31.50 on the Nasdaq.