DISH Network Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2010 Financial Results

[nelson61]

They also say Echostar 15 will switch to an in-orbit spare when Echostar 16 goes active (2012). Looks like it can back all their Conus locations.

Quetzsat 1 and Echostar 16 are the only two satellites listed as under construction at this time.

Sure looks like they are walking a tightrope for spot capacity if Ciel 2 or Echostar 10 experience an " anomaly".

 

[jwolf]

I am also one on the customers that left during the fourth quarter. I would have stayed IF I could have watched the Buffalo Sabres on MSG and didn't have to miss episodes of my favorite shows from FX. I must have been drinking the Dish kool-aid for the ten+ years that I was with them, Directv is awesome and I should have switched YEARS ago.

I only see more reports like this in dish's future, until they pull their collective heads from their collective asses!!

 

[mike123abc]

On the bright side (from Dish's point of view) the customers remaining are ones that are willing to pay the higher prices/fees and fewer customers to have to service via the call centers...

But, seriously, it is not good news to bleed subs. I wonder how much of the loss occurred during the FOX RSN/FX/Nat Geo dispute? I wonder how many left because of the Disney HD issue? I wonder how many left because of the 24/7 RSN not in HD issue? I wonder how many left because of the CSN RSN disputes? How many left because of MSG disputes? This was a huge quarter filled with disputes.

I know some will be quick to post how they do not watch these, or are not important to them, but there are a lot that it does mean something to. Every channel has its audience. Programmers holding back on programming in a dispute is a powerful weapon. We may/may not cheer Dish on against the programmers, but it does take a heavy toll on Dish to have these disputes.

 

[Jhon69]

When you see the world from behind Dish-colored glasses, it's a whole different reality......

The same can be said when you have on DirecTV colored glasses too!.

 

[HDRoberts]

Sure looks like they are walking a tightrope for spot capacity if Ciel 2 or Echostar 10 experience an " anomaly".

Echostar 14, I think, has a lot of additional unused spot capacity, including some on TPs used as CONUS. With a failure to E10, they could move CONUS E14 programming to E11 (on TPs freed up by the E10 failure), and activate unused E14 spots. May not eliminate the problem, but should at least mitigate it.

More challenging on Ciel-2, but if they move a spare to 129, they can do a bit of the same.

Still, surprised there is no E10 replacement in the works, especially with the solar array failures.

 

[Jhon69]

Hey Scott, D* added

DIRECTV Adds 667,000 Net New Subscribers in Q4

289,000 was 4th Quarter results for American Subscribers NOT including Directv Latino.

Who cares? This is the Dish Network Forum?.

 

[mike123abc]

Who cares? This is the Dish Network Forum?.

The real reason it is mentioned here is that Dish has been saying it is the bad economy that is causing subs to drop TV subscriptions in big numbers and it is not their fault that they are losing subs. By showing DIRECTV is still adding a ton of subs, points out that even with the bad economy it is still possible to take subs away from the competiton and grow numbers.

 

[inazsully]

Who cares? This is the Dish Network Forum?.

Pretty much anybody with a brain and can ad 1+ 1=2. Also anybody that cares about the financial future of the company they have stood behind. When you lose a substantial number of subs and your profits go up. That does not sound good to this sub.

 

[Jhon69]

The real reason it is mentioned here is that Dish has been saying it is the bad economy that is causing subs to drop TV subscriptions in big numbers and it is not their fault that they are losing subs. By showing DIRECTV is still adding a ton of subs, points out that even with the bad economy it is still possible to take subs away from the competiton and grow numbers.

Yes I agree with that.But on another sense DirecTV should not count their chickens before they hatch,after new subs 2 year deal is over,holding onto those subs for DirecTV will be a completely different problem.So Dish Network better get ready as I see a mass exodus of new subscribers coming to Dish Network their way in 2 years.

 

[Jhon69]

Pretty much anybody with a brain and can ad 1+ 1=2. Also anybody that cares about the financial future of the company they have stood behind. When you lose a substantial number of subs and your profits go up. That does not sound good to this sub.

Only if your a stockholder would it sound good because you know what comes along with profits don't you? dividends!.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The real reason it is mentioned here is that Dish has been saying it is the bad economy that is causing subs to drop TV subscriptions in big numbers and it is not their fault that they are losing subs. By showing DIRECTV is still adding a ton of subs, points out that even with the bad economy it is still possible to take subs away from the competiton and grow numbers.

This 100% on the money.

I didnt get to call in for the earnings call so I didnt get to hear Charlie explain the numbers. Did anyone call in?

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Dish made a profit of $252 million in a single fiscal quarter and yet felt the need for a $5 price hike on almost all of their programming packages in the next one? It'd be nice if somehow, somewhere, a television service would operate at slimmer profit margins to try to provide more value to it's customers.

 

[DodgerKing]

Yes I agree with that.But on another sense DirecTV should not count their chickens before they hatch,after new subs 2 year deal is over,holding onto those subs for DirecTV will be a completely different problem.So Dish Network better get ready as I see a mass exodus of new subscribers coming to Dish Network their way in 2 years.

DirecTVs worst Q4 ever still had a net gain in subs. Every year people make the 2 year commitment expiration claim, yet they still add more than they lose.

There is only one satellite company that has a net loss in subs during some quarter, and for 3 consecutive quarters in a row, and it is not DirecTV

 

[navychop]

The objective is to maximize earnings, not subs. The connection is not ironclad. It does in fact appear that they may have lost unprofitable or less profitable subs, but that can't continue indefinitely. Perhaps Dish has plans this year to stop the losses and grow again. Eventually, they will have to and are surely aware of this.

I'm happy with Dish and it's equipment, but money is money. If the local Fios offices would get in the new Cisco DVRs I'd take a look, and see if there would be any real savings. Looks like there wouldn't be.

 

[Jhon69]

DirecTVs worst Q4 ever still had a net gain in subs. Every year people make the 2 year commitment expiration claim, yet they still add more than they lose.

There is only one satellite company that has a net loss in subs during some quarter, and for 3 consecutive quarters in a row, and it is not DirecTV

Like I said before who cares about DirecTV? This is the Dish Network Forum and I don't?.

It's like you DirecTV guys have to try to build up DirecTV in the Dish Network Forum? Why is that?.

I will say DK I do like the fact when you talk about your DirecTV account being cheaper than Dish Network? alot of times you leave out that your account is "grandfathered".

You don't see me running over to the DirecTV Forum posting stuff?.I guess all these DirecTV installers need the business?.

 

[jbrooks987]

I have to wonder how many of the customers Dish lost were "high maintenance" customers - those that demanded '"deals", freebies, etc. Losing a number of that type of consumer can positively affect the botom line.

 

[Jhon69]

Think we may see in a little while over there?.

 

[lparsons21]

I wonder how much of the loss of subs can be attributed to the Fox fight and the loss of HD Absolute?

And just to pass a dig at the D* guys here, I would think that given the situation at D*, there is less incentive for them to add national HD since their growth was good without them.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The HD Absolute wouldnt factor on the 4th quarter numbers.

And while I hate seeing members take pot shots at a company they do not do business with, I feel that DISH had it coming here. The writing was on the wall last yeat. Anyone who didn't see it coming needs to have their eyes checked.

What I find funny is that if you watch this industry like I have that you will see that it is normal for the companies to bounce like this. Sometimes DISH is on top then boom DIRECTV is on top.

Personally while it was bad for some subscribers who left I do feel that DISH will learn from their mistakes (they have to) and will try better. On the DirecTV side I hope they don't become happy with this and stop trying as we have seen them do in the past. New HD should be a priority right now as I am seeing many DIRECTV customers getting upset at the lack of new HD and thos folks may just jump and push the momentum back to DISH again. DIRECTV should be using this time to push further ahead and not just sit there like a sitting duck.

 

[DodgerKing]

Like I said before who cares about DirecTV? This is the Dish Network Forum and I don't?.

It's like you DirecTV guys have to try to build up DirecTV in the Dish Network Forum? Why is that?.

I will say DK I do like the fact when you talk about your DirecTV account being cheaper than Dish Network? alot of times you leave out that your account is "grandfathered".

You don't see me running over to the DirecTV Forum posting stuff?.I guess all these DirecTV installers need the business?.

You should care. There is a reason why one company's main competitor had one if its best quarters while said company had one of it worst. Comparing and contrasting the competition can be valuable to the success of a company