This cannot be good news for Dish Network...

[riffjim4069]

I just read an article in Multichannel News claiming AT&T added more than 100,000 DirecTV subscribers and estimated at least 95,000 Dish Network subscribers were lost during 2Q. Although Dish Network was expected to pickup 25k new customers due to the digital TV conversion, this news cannot bode well for Dish Network's 2Q numbers given that FiOS TV is expected to post net additions in the 300k range, U-Verse already posted adding 248k subscribers, and DirecTV is expected to post 243k net adds. I read through AT&T's 2Q report and there was no breakout of their satellite video customers. Anyway, Dish Network's 2Q numbers should be very interesting.

Source

"AT&T added more than 100,000 DirecTV subscribers in the second quarter -- indicating that the telco shed nearly the same number of Dish Network subs.

AT&T chief financial officer Rick Lindner, on a conference call Thursday with analysts, said the "DirecTV partnership is going well" and resulted in more than 100,000 subscribers for the period.

Overall, AT&T reported 2.210 million satellite video subscribers, up 5,000 sequentially. That suggests the telco saw at least 95,000 Dish customers drop their service in the period.

The telco's agreement with Dish expired Jan. 31, after AT&T decided to exclusively offer DirecTV in areas it does not provide its own U-verse IPTV service.

Analysts have expected the AT&T bundling deal to contribute to a strong second quarter for DirecTV. Credit Suisse, in a report Thursday before AT&T announced quarterly results, said it expects DirecTV to post total net adds of 243,000 for Q2. DirecTV added 570,00 net new subscribers in the first three months of the year, its best quarter in four years.

In the second quarter, AT&T added 248,000 U-verse TV subscribers, to stand at 1.577 million. That makes AT&T the 10th-largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., after the six biggest MSOs, DirecTV, Dish and Verizon FiOS."

Full Article

 

[Skyhi]

Hopefully this is good news for current E* customers. Maybe they'll throw the world at us in hopes we don't leave.

 

[vurbano]

I couldnt stay with E* if it were me. I have always gone for the best PQ. Cable to D* to VOOM to D* with mpeg4 when it started and now FIOS. I will swear no loyalty to anyone and vote with my dollar.

 

[Juan]

FIOS is picking up directv customers. They are converting from D* verizon discount package to a fios TV package

 

[tigerfan33]

Hopefully this is good news for current E* customers. Maybe they'll throw the world at us in hopes we don't leave.

Don't count on it. It does scare me a bit that Dish is suppose to gives many subs the Platinum pack for free. Last year Dish gave us many hd channels and within a few days, yanked Voom off the air with the trade off.

 

[KAB]

Geeze!!!!!!!!! The first sentence of the article alone is illogical and biased. It is insinuating every added AT&T/Directv add was a Dish loss. I hardly think so, Mr. Spangler. All you running chickens sew your heads back on.

 

[riffjim4069]

Geeze. The first sentence of the article alone is illogical and biased. It is insinuating every added AT&T/Directv add was a Dish loss. I hardly think so, Mr. Spangler. All you running chickens sew your heads back on.

It's actually simple math. If AT&T added 100,000+ DirecTV subscribers during 2Q, as announced during the Investor conference call, and AT&T's total "satellite" subscribers is 5000 more than 1Q...well, that pretty much means there are 95,000 less Dish Network subscribers since DirecTV and Dish Network are the only two pay TV (DBS) services available in the U.S. I thought Todd Spangler (Multichannel News) did a good job of reporting the facts. Please explain how this Multichannel News article is illogical and biased?

http://www.att.com/Investor/Financial/Earning_Info/docs/2Q_09_IB_FINAL.pdf

 

[riffjim4069]

The Past Six Quarters

2008
1st Quarter added +35,000 subscribers
2nd Quarter lost -25,000 subscribers
3rd Quarter lost -10,000 subscribers
4th Quarter lost -102,000 subscribers

2009
1st Quarter lost -95,000 subscribers
2nd Quarter added/lost ????? subscribers (my estimate is -95000+)

 

[Juan]

I find it kind of suspicious that D* is gaining so many customers in a period of economic decline.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I find it kind of suspicious

What do you mean?

 

[JonE]

If we had FIOS in this area, I'd probably look at it. We don't, and from the sounds of things, won't for a long time.

 

[handiman876]

I initially had my Dish account through AT&T. I switched to an official Dish account due to the fact the two companies did not work together. I couldn't get any of the Dish specials or manage my account online. I'm curious as to how many lost subs merely switched from AT&T Dish back to Dish.

 

[bebop]

I initially had my Dish account through AT&T. I switched to an official Dish account due to the fact the two companies did not work together. I couldn't get any of the Dish specials or manage my account online. I'm curious as to how many lost subs merely switched from AT&T Dish back to Dish.

At least someone here has some common sense in looking at the numbers. It's probably better for E* if folks do this instead of paying a middle-man.

 

[clydesam]

It is hard too believe that many dish customers switch just after att went into bed with directv. Because in my area alone att internet is terrible and to get the $10 discount you have to bundle with other services such as high speed internet. I know of several people whom switched to Comcast because of the att internet going out every time it got warm outside. I switched to Earthlink for about 2 yrs and worked great and used the same dsl lines. Now they offer att uverse for tv and internet in my area and not interested in leaving dish since they would use to same lines. Directv is higher after the initial promos end and when I left the customer service messed up and took forever to get them back the second receiver. It doesnt make sense in the times that people will pay more . Of course unless you want the NFL Sunday .Because I believe you can switch to Comcast and they offer MLB ticket. I believe what have hurt dish is the dropping of the voom channels making them not that much difference in programming than directv. Of course the article doesnt include the gains dish has with new customers . So if they gains are more than the losses they would add more customers.

 

[Mojo]

I will swear no loyalty to anyone and vote with my dollar.

+1

Just waiting for FIOS to go live in Philly

 

[Liquidforce88]

Well I can say as an installer that used to install Dish and now installs Direct, that AT@T was switching customers from Dish to Direct. Infact they were calling customers and telling them they had to switch to keep their bundle.

The sad part is most people are to DUMB to look at the price of service after those great deals are over. I have priced Dish vs. Direct several times. Dish is always cheaper for me after the discounts. I alsways ask why a customer is switching service. It's always Direct is cheaper, I just know that they did not compare prices (Yes I know there are a few of you that Direct works out cheaper if you have 4 DVR's and 6 HD tv's but you never seem to mention the up front costs in your bill)

 

[DodgerKing]

If we had FIOS in this area, I'd probably look at it. We don't, and from the sounds of things, won't for a long time.

We have it here and have been seriously considering switching from Direct to FiOs. There is ONE very big reason I won't: I cannot take my FiOs with me to our place in Mammoth or when we travel like I can with DirecTV. If I could, then I would switch in a heartbeat.

 

[jself1982]

I find it kind of suspicious that D* is gaining so many customers in a period of economic decline.

I don't find it suspicious. I am a Dish Network customer, but in the rural parts of my neck of the woods, you have the choice of Dish Network, Directv, and Charter cable.

Word around here is horrible when it comes to Charter Cable. They say here, Charter is good for one thing and that is the internet.

If you talk about Dish Network, everyone says... "Ah, but they don't have that Nascar package we heard that Direct Dish Company has..."

And if you speak Directv, everyone says... "I know so and so who has it and they like it, they have them sports and them Nascar channels...so I will get that one"

Honestly, people here seem to not be concerned with price or anything. They are more concerned with the fact that they are all unemployed and have nothing more to do than to sit at home and watch tv. Honestly, since Nascar can be 2nd to gospel in these parts, everyone wants Directv just for that on Sunday's after the firstcoming church in the morning.

People here don't care about technology or DVR's, half of them don't want no more than a remote that has a channel up and down button and thats it.

Just my opinion. Furthermore, AT&T Uverse is almost ready to debut in my area and seeing how mad I am at Dish Network and their customer service, or lack thereof... I may be leaving and selling my equipment as well. Dish may have good hardware and what not, but when it comes to customer service and the quality at which you treat your longterm customers as myself...well, you can't say one thing positive about it other than... "Play CSR roulette and get what you want..." glad someone else has time for that--I don't anymore!

 

[Lkr]

I find it kind of suspicious that D* is gaining so many customers in a period of economic decline.

D* is a better value depending on what you need. For me, it was cheaper to go with D*

 

[tomcrown1]

I don't find it suspicious. I am a Dish Network customer, but in the rural parts of my neck of the woods, you have the choice of Dish Network, Directv, and Charter cable.

Word around here is horrible when it comes to Charter Cable. They say here, Charter is good for one thing and that is the internet.

If you talk about Dish Network, everyone says... "Ah, but they don't have that Nascar package we heard that Direct Dish Company has..."

And if you speak Directv, everyone says... "I know so and so who has it and they like it, they have them sports and them Nascar channels...so I will get that one"

Honestly, people here seem to not be concerned with price or anything. They are more concerned with the fact that they are all unemployed and have nothing more to do than to sit at home and watch tv. Honestly, since Nascar can be 2nd to gospel in these parts, everyone wants Directv just for that on Sunday's after the firstcoming church in the morning.

People here don't care about technology or DVR's, half of them don't want no more than a remote that has a channel up and down button and thats it.

Just my opinion. Furthermore, AT&T Uverse is almost ready to debut in my area and seeing how mad I am at Dish Network and their customer service, or lack thereof... I may be leaving and selling my equipment as well. Dish may have good hardware and what not, but when it comes to customer service and the quality at which you treat your longterm customers as myself...well, you can't say one thing positive about it other than... "Play CSR roulette and get what you want..." glad someone else has time for that--I don't anymore!

You said it Dish has crappy customer service and may not be around in five years. I hope charlie wakes up and bring back the customer service department they once use to have.

Charlie wake up or see your company vanish.