Minor gains for US pay-TV providers

The six leading pay-TV operators in the US as ranked in the informitv Multiscreen Index maintained their subscriber numbers in the first quarter of 2016, with a net gain of 33,000 video customers. These six operators still have a total 78.31 million video subscribers between them.

AT&T U-verse reported the largest loss of video subscribers. AT&T has been promoting the services of its DirecTV subsidiary, which made the greatest gains but fell short of making up the difference by 54,000. Between the two services, AT&T still has 25.34 million video customers, making it the market leader in the US.

• Comcast added 53,000 video subscribers, its best first quarter result in nine years, taking its total to 22.40 million.
• DirecTV gained 328,000 subscribers in the US, for a total of 20.11 million. It lost 73,000 subscribers in Latin America, led by the loss of over 100,000 in Brazil.
• DISH Network lost 23,000 subscribers, ending the quarter with 13.87 million, down by 139,000 year on year.
• Time Warner Cable added 21,000 residential video customers, with a total of 10.84 million. Charter Communications, which is planning to acquire the company, gained 10,000, for a total of 4.33 million.
• Verizon Fios gained 36,000, compared to 90,000 in the same quarter a year previously, taking its total to 5.86 million.
• AT&T U-verse shed 382,000, dropping down to 5.23 million. The service has lost 737,000 subscribers in twelve months as AT&T concentrates on DirecTV.

“Considering concerns about cord cutting, the leading pay-television services in the United States are managing to hang on to their television customers,” said Dr William Cooper, the editor of the informitv Multiscreen Index.

“Although slightly down from their peak a year ago, these six operators are still reporting more television customers between them than they had four years ago.” added informitv analyst Dr Sue Farrell.