Dish Sheds 334,000 TV Subscribers in Q4, Taking a Hit From HBO and Univision Blackouts

[bluegras]

Dish Network lost a record 381,000 satellite TV subs in the fourth quarter of 2018, as the carriage standoffs with AT&T’s HBO and Univision accelerated the pain the company has already been feeling from cord-cutting trends.

Dish eked out a net gain of just 47,000 subs for Sling TV, its cheaper over-the-top subscription offering, in the period. The Q4 2018 overall losses compares with Dish’s net addition of 39,000 in the year-ago quarter.

Dish Sheds 334,000 TV Subscribers in Q4, Taking a Hit From HBO and Univision Blackouts

 

[ncted]

I know so many people just doing OTA + Netflix, Prime, and/or Hulu, etc. these days, so this isn't surprising. With ISP competition in our area, broadband prices are relatively low, so Spectrum really isn't even trying to get people to sub to video service any more. They primarily advertise their internet service.

 

[ncted]

Streaming Alternatives Are Cannibalizing Traditional Pay TV -- The Motley Fool

 

[comfortably_numb]

Adapt or die. Hopefully the 5G project will reinvigorate Dish.

 

[Bruce]

This is not just a Dish problem, the top five providers (AT&T, Spectrum, Comcast, Dish, Verizon ) all lost 1.1 Million TV Subscribers in the 4th Quarter 2018.

Prices too high, crappy service ( glad I left Comcast with their bitrate starved video), too many other options spells disaster for the traditional TV Providers.


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[comfortably_numb]

This is not just a Dish problem, the top five providers (AT&T, Spectrum, Comcast, Dish, Verizon ) all lost 1.1 Million TV Subscribers in the 4th Quarter 2018.

Prices too high, crappy service ( glad I left Comcast with their bitrate starved video), too many other options spells disaster for the traditional TV Providers.


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

I can't say Dish's service is crappy. I don't have any plans to leave. My Dish service complements my other services nicely (OTA, FTA, Roku streaming etc).

 

[navychop]

I like DVRing. I like trick plays that work quickly and as expected. And I very much like skipping commercials.

But we do find ourselves using the Roku and Android TV more. When we’re done watching Doc Martin, I think we’ll drop Acorn.


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[Justy5]

What is the HBO and Univision dispute about? Is it AT&T being a big bully charging higher rates for HBO or something else? It has been a long outage. Every year there is some kind of dispute with Dish. I mean DIRECTV outages are mostly local channels and few other channels from their lineup. Does Dish know how to negotiate during a dispute? Maybe Ergen likes these drawn out disputes. Any comments?

 

[Bobby]

What is the HBO and Univision dispute about? Is it AT&T being a big bully charging higher rates for HBO or something else? It has been a long outage. Every year there is some kind of dispute with Dish. I mean DIRECTV outages are mostly local channels and few other channels from their lineup. Does Dish know how to negotiate during a dispute? Maybe Ergen likes these drawn out disputes. Any comments?

Rather than go over the whole thing again, this thread will give you the information you are looking for. If you read the first few pages you will ge the idea.

HBO/Cinemax Takedown

 

[MikeD-C05]

I was looking back on 2012 and DISH ended that year with 14.06 million subs and that was before Sling tv launched in 2015. Today DISH is down to 9.9 million subs and I would think that is just satellite subs unless they are counting in that 9.9 million number the 2.42 million Sling tv subs . So that would be a loss of 4.16 million satellite subs in 7 years. But satellite tv is definitely waning as a popular service.

 

[Tampa8]

I was looking back on 2012 and DISH ended that year with 14.06 million subs and that was before Sling tv launched in 2015. Today DISH is down to 9.9 million subs and I would think that is just satellite subs unless they are counting in that 9.9 million number the 2.42 million Sling tv subs . So that would be a loss of 4.16 million satellite subs in 7 years. But satellite tv is definitely waning as a popular service.

Wish I could disagree.

 

[charlesrshell]

All this news is sure stressful. I can't even imagine loosing DISH and the Hopper 3/Joey home system. It would be a nightmare having to go back to the cable companies crappy DVRs. All these streaming services is out of the question to me. Besides, they all probably will raise their prices anyway someday. I sure hope ATT does away with Direct's satellite dishes and maybe DISH will pickup some of their old customers.

 

[ncted]

This is not just a Dish problem, the top five providers (AT&T, Spectrum, Comcast, Dish, Verizon ) all lost 1.1 Million TV Subscribers in the 4th Quarter 2018.

Prices too high, crappy service ( glad I left Comcast with their bitrate starved video), too many other options spells disaster for the traditional TV Providers.


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

As we used to say in the newspaper business, "it is raining on everyone." Of course, it is still raining on the newspaper business.

 

[dishdude]

I was looking back on 2012 and DISH ended that year with 14.06 million subs and that was before Sling tv launched in 2015. Today DISH is down to 9.9 million subs and I would think that is just satellite subs unless they are counting in that 9.9 million number the 2.42 million Sling tv subs . So that would be a loss of 4.16 million satellite subs in 7 years. But satellite tv is definitely waning as a popular service.

Those really are staggering numbers, and you're right - DISH satellite subscribers sit today at 9.9 million. Clearly this trend is not sustainable. How many more can they lose before the business is no longer profitable? 2-3 million?

 

[bluegras]

I was looking back on 2012 and DISH ended that year with 14.06 million subs and that was before Sling tv launched in 2015. Today DISH is down to 9.9 million subs and I would think that is just satellite subs unless they are counting in that 9.9 million number the 2.42 million Sling tv subs . So that would be a loss of 4.16 million satellite subs in 7 years. But satellite tv is definitely waning as a popular service.

Very true Mike alot of my friends are now cord cutting dumping cable and satellite and going with all the streaming services.

 

[navychop]

Advertisers must love them.


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[comfortably_numb]

How many more can they lose before the business is no longer profitable? 2-3 million?

Before that happens, more than likely they'll lay a bunch of people off and start raising rates. Or perhaps they'll use their other business ventures (5G) to offset some of the losses if that ever comes to fruition.

 

[hman414]

Adapt or die. Hopefully the 5G project will reinvigorate Dish.

Don't count on it...

T-Mobile's Legere Calls Dish a Spectrum Hoarder | Light Reading

DISH is/has been doing the absolute bare minimum to keep their spectrum licenses.

Building out a nationwide IoT network and/or a full 5G network just doesn't make a lot of sense.

ATT and Verizon have still not done this yet (and they have 30+ year head start).

ATT and Verizon still use local and regional roaming partners in many parts of the USA...

 

[ncted]

Don't count on it...

T-Mobile's Legere Calls Dish a Spectrum Hoarder | Light Reading

DISH is/has been doing the absolute bare minimum to keep their spectrum licenses.

Building out a nationwide IoT network and/or a full 5G network just doesn't make a lot of sense.

ATT and Verizon have still not done this yet (and they have 30+ year head start).

ATT and Verizon still use local and regional roaming partners in many parts of the USA...

Verizon and AT&T (and Sprint and T Mobile) already offer IOT service nationwide to a variety of business customers. Not disagreeing with you in general -- just that one point. Also, Legere is a great self-promoter, and I'd rather have service on his network TBH, but, alas, I need something that works everywhere I go, so AT&T it is for me.

 

[charlesrshell]

Verizon and AT&T (and Sprint and T Mobile) already offer IOT service nationwide to a variety of business customers. Not disagreeing with you in general -- just that one point. Also, Legere is a great self-promoter, and I'd rather have service on his network TBH, but, alas, I need something that works everywhere I go, so AT&T it is for me.

Verizon for me.