(Reuters) - AT&T Inc (>> AT&T Inc.), the No. 2 U.S. telecom company, said it has extended the "termination date" of the merger agreement with satellite TV provider DirecTV (>> DIRECTV) for "a short period of time", the second time in two months.

AT&T said in a regulatory filing on Monday that the extension is aimed at obtaining final regulatory approval for the merger. (http://1.usa.gov/1IHzVJa)

AT&T in May last year offered to buy DirecTV to create the largest U.S. pay TV company. The deal highlights AT&T's pressing need for fresh avenues of growth beyond the maturing U.S. cellular business, which has become increasingly competitive.

(Reporting By Lehar Maan in Bengaluru)

Stocks treated in this article : AT&T Inc., DIRECTV