DirecTV loses subscribers for first time in 2nd quarter
NEW YORK (AP) — DirecTV, the country's largest provider of satellite TV services, is losing subscribers for the first time, as the company tightened credit policies and consumer appetite for pay-TV services appears to have plateaued.
DirecTV Inc. said Thursday that it lost 52,000 U.S. subscribers in the April-to-June period. Last year, it added 26,000 in the same period, which is seasonally the weakest of the year.
Other pay-TV companies have reported worsening subscriber trends in the quarter, except for Comcast Corp., which reported reduced losses on Wednesday. Time Warner Cable Inc., the second-largest cable company, said Thursday that it lost 169,000 subscribers in the second quarter, a record for the company.
The second quarter is usually a weak one for pay-TV services because students cancel their subscriptions ahead of the summer holidays, and some "snowbirds" cancel their winter home subscriptions before heading to their summer homes. For the past two years, the industry has lost overall subscribers in those quarters.
Cable, satellite and phone companies that sell TV services have made up for the losses with subscriber gains in other quarters, but the gains are running below the rate of population growth, indicating a slow erosion in the willingness or ability of households to pay for TV.
Surveys point to the cost of TV signals as being the chief reason households go without. In addition, more younger adults are living with their parents in the wake of the recession. But anecdotal evidence suggests some households are also eschewing pay-TV in favor of Internet video from Hulu, Netflix, iTunes and other sources.
Rapid subscriber gains in Latin America buoyed DirecTV's results, but earnings missed expectations. Net income was $711 million, or $1.09 per share, compared with $701 million, or 91 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet were on average expecting $1.14 per share.
Revenue rose 9 percent to $7.2 billion.
CEO Mike White said the operating profit on its U.S. operations grew at the fastest rate in two years. He called that "an early indication of successfully executing on our long-term strategy of striking a more optimal balance between growth and profitability."
New subscribers need to be equipped with dishes and set-top boxes, which cost DirecTV money, so an influx usually cuts into short-term profits. Conversely, fewer new subscriber boost profits in the short term.
DirecTV shares fell 85 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $49.25, in midday trading Thursday.
DirecTV ended the quarter with 19.9 million U.S. subscribers, making it the second-largest provider of pay-TV signals in the country, after Comcast.
DirecTV's Sky Brasil and PanAmericana added 645,000 subscribers. That was up from 472,000 a year ago and the best result ever for the company. DirecTV now has 9.1 million subscribers in Latin America. Sky Mexico, of which it owns 41 percent, has another 4.6 million.
Latin American subscribers pay less than those in the U.S. DirecTV gets 78 percent of its revenue from U.S. operations.
DirecTV Inc. said Thursday that it lost 52,000 U.S. subscribers in the April-to-June period. Last year, it added 26,000 in the same period, which is seasonally the weakest of the year.
Other pay-TV companies have reported worsening subscriber trends in the quarter, except for Comcast Corp., which reported reduced losses on Wednesday. Time Warner Cable Inc., the second-largest cable company, said Thursday that it lost 169,000 subscribers in the second quarter, a record for the company.
The second quarter is usually a weak one for pay-TV services because students cancel their subscriptions ahead of the summer holidays, and some "snowbirds" cancel their winter home subscriptions before heading to their summer homes. For the past two years, the industry has lost overall subscribers in those quarters.
Cable, satellite and phone companies that sell TV services have made up for the losses with subscriber gains in other quarters, but the gains are running below the rate of population growth, indicating a slow erosion in the willingness or ability of households to pay for TV.
Surveys point to the cost of TV signals as being the chief reason households go without. In addition, more younger adults are living with their parents in the wake of the recession. But anecdotal evidence suggests some households are also eschewing pay-TV in favor of Internet video from Hulu, Netflix, iTunes and other sources.
Rapid subscriber gains in Latin America buoyed DirecTV's results, but earnings missed expectations. Net income was $711 million, or $1.09 per share, compared with $701 million, or 91 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet were on average expecting $1.14 per share.
Revenue rose 9 percent to $7.2 billion.
CEO Mike White said the operating profit on its U.S. operations grew at the fastest rate in two years. He called that "an early indication of successfully executing on our long-term strategy of striking a more optimal balance between growth and profitability."
New subscribers need to be equipped with dishes and set-top boxes, which cost DirecTV money, so an influx usually cuts into short-term profits. Conversely, fewer new subscriber boost profits in the short term.
DirecTV shares fell 85 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $49.25, in midday trading Thursday.
DirecTV ended the quarter with 19.9 million U.S. subscribers, making it the second-largest provider of pay-TV signals in the country, after Comcast.
DirecTV's Sky Brasil and PanAmericana added 645,000 subscribers. That was up from 472,000 a year ago and the best result ever for the company. DirecTV now has 9.1 million subscribers in Latin America. Sky Mexico, of which it owns 41 percent, has another 4.6 million.
Latin American subscribers pay less than those in the U.S. DirecTV gets 78 percent of its revenue from U.S. operations.
Themain reason people are dropping it is they can't afford it anymore. If/when the economy rebounds and people have well paying jobs, they will re-subscribe. I read alot of bad comments about DTV; but I can honestly say they have always been very helpful and cooperative with me. But I can see where the phones and pads easy access to entertainment is wearing it thin for cable and dish. Can anyone say ' buggy whip' ?
Good. Hope they go out of business here. Never dealt with a more shady, unhelpful, rude and uncaring business. Was stuck in a contract with them for 2 years and went through 3 DVR boxes, no matter how much I complained, they refused to work with me on an HD DVR, wanted me to pay full price to buy an upgraded box and renew my contract to do it. Even their managers basically said "Well you are in a contract so we could care less if you are unhappy. Deal with it." The price you are quoted on signup is not the price you will pay, ever.....I would rather go without TV at all than ever sign up with another satellite provider and lock myself into a contract.
I don't think I've heard anything nice being said about any of the satellite TV providers. I plan to drop my Comcast down to a basic level. I'm tired of paying $150.00+ for cable and internet. (internet is about $44) 90% of the channels I don't watch = crap channels.
Their prices keep going up, making people pay more and more for 200+ channels when there is only about 20 that actually get watched. Then more and more shows are available online for free, with fewer ads than the broadcast versions. Alot of people have said they have gotten rid of the cable or satellite and just watch shows online and use netflix and totally happy.