DISH Network Reports Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results

[Liquidforce88]

Maybe I'm just naive, but I can't imagine that signal theft is really that big of an issue. I would think we're talking about very small fractions of a percent with regard to net income.

Being in installer I can tell you it was huge. You ever wonder why so many houses had a D* dish and an E* dish. Yep they were stealing Dish Network programing. It was huge in the Detroit area and just about any area that had a large forien population. I can say at one point I was seeing 3 to 10 people a week that were stealing signal in way shape or another.

The real sad part about it is these people did not feel that what they were doing was wrong. Almost all of them said that it was in the air it was free to receive.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I thought most analysts survey the retailers all around to get an estimate of the sub gains, how come they predicted 100K sub loss? Forgot to survey Claude Greiner and DodgerKing?

I talked to several Analysts and told them all the same thing as I predicted here that this quarter was going to be the last quarter that Dish posted a subscriber loss.

As a retailer for Dish, I see these trends in the market place and thats how I gather my information to make predictions.

One thing you got to consider when looking at Dish and Directv numbers is that on any given day X number of customers are going to sign up for satellite Tv service. The question are they going to sign up with DISH Network or Directv and then the question is which retailer are they going to go with.

Dish Networks whole issue in 2008 was that the promotion stinked, and then they sat there and started limiting who they signed up when they stopped accecpting debit cards last August. The problem was that every one of those customers who didn't get Dish, ended up getting Directv. Not only they pissed away a good customer, but their competition got one up on them.

 

[jacmyoung]

...The real sad part about it is these people did not feel that what they were doing was wrong. Almost all of them said that it was in the air it was free to receive.

Did the new security work?

 

[jacmyoung]

I talked to several Analysts and told them all the same thing as I predicted here that this quarter was going to be the last quarter that Dish posted a subscriber loss.

As a retailer for Dish, I see these trends in the market place and thats how I gather my information to make predictions.

One thing you got to consider when looking at Dish and Directv numbers is that on any given day X number of customers are going to sign up for satellite Tv service. The question are they going to sign up with DISH Network or Directv and then the question is which retailer are they going to go with.

Dish Networks whole issue in 2008 was that the promotion stinked, and then they sat there and started limiting who they signed up when they stopped accecpting debit cards last August. The problem was that every one of those customers who didn't get Dish, ended up getting Directv. Not only they pissed away a good customer, but their competition got one up on them.

Apparently those analysts did not believe you Most of them predicted E* losing the biggest amount of subs for Q2.

But then I recall most analysts also predicted in June that it was "highly unlikely" the appeals court would stay the injunction pending E*'s appeal

 

[PHXHoward]

Dish, which concentrates on being a low-cost provider, said its subscriber growth was helped by the digital transition on June 12, the completion of its security access device replacement program and new sales and marketing efforts.

Marketing efforts????

Wrong Dish!!!

Yes marketing efforts. Every web site I visit has a Dish ad on it now.

 

[DishSubLA]

previously someone commented on charlie wasting money on the fcc spectrum auctions. yeah, now it does seem like a waste. but i was thinking, couldnt charlie use this spectrum to provide internet to his customers instead of having to rely on partner phone companies? perhaps with the 922 being wifi capable, it could pick up the wifi, then proivde service to the home by connecting a router to its ethernet port. perhaps even provide a voip system as well? by doing this he would be able to undercut directv in many markets where he has spectrum ownership.

Yes. It seemed that was the unknown plan when he bid for it (no one could figure out what he would do with it). But, I submit another theory, as Charlie is a poker player: That spectrum purchase may have been for investment. While not in the largest markets, it is in key secondary ones, and the time will come when Chuck's spectrum will have new and higher value. Charles sells to the highest bidder. And the competition for it will be fierce. Verizon, ATT&T, and whoever else with the deep pockets will pay a premium to get it when they introduce major upgrades or services in these secondary metropolitan areas. Just an IMHO.

 

[Stargazer]

It would have been stupid for Dish Network to have waited to shut off those subscribers because Dish has to pay for programming while those subscribers receive service don't they? another thing is those subscribers would be less likely to be able to pay their bill if they had another month to pay for.

 

[navychop]

Let's see, Dish started about 2 years after DirecTV, didn't they? And have been gaining on them for most of their business life. Especially before Murdoch. So sooner or later, DTV had to gain more than Dish, and likewise, Dish to lose a few subs. No doubt the day will come when DTV loses subs. Gotta look at it over the long haul. A single quarter or year does not a disaster make.

And no winning streak lasts forever.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The real sad part about it is these people did not feel that what they were doing was wrong. Almost all of them said that it was in the air it was free to receive.

I wish I had a doller everytime someone told me that if the signal landed on their property it was theirs to do what they wanted with it.

The best one is all the Canadians who try to justify stealing by saying that they would pay for the service if it was legal for them to subscribe. So then the hack cards go down and sure enough they are on a grey market system, with 4 boxes so they can share a single account with everyone in their entire family.

 

[harshness]

And, the random probablility of at least one of them unexpectedly failing is fairly high.

Updated: In their most recent FCC filing, DIRECTV places the chances of D12 reaching its scheduled EOL at 51% (85% likelihood of bus survival and 60% likelihood of payload survival)).

DBSTalk.Com - View Single Post - Sixto Report-D12 Status: Pre-Launch

 

[harshness]

It would have been stupid for Dish Network to have waited to shut off those subscribers because Dish has to pay for programming while those subscribers receive service don't they?

Serving customers costs pretty much the same either way from a utility cost standpoint. The customer count probably has a relatively small influence what they pay the content providers.

I think that if I were a shareholder, I think I'd rather see a lost customer than a bigger write-off.

 

[jacmyoung]

...the hack cards go down and sure enough they are on a grey market system, with 4 boxes so they can share a single account with everyone in their entire family.

At least they are now paying, though account stacking could be why there was only the 26K sub gain, not 260k