U.S. Pay-TV Operators Retain Subs

LONDON: The top six pay-TV operators in the U.S., as ranked by informitv’s Multiscreen Index, maintained their subscriber numbers in the first quarter of 2016, adding in total 33,000 video customers.

These six operators have a total of 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 came up short in 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 U.S.

Comcast added 53,000 video subscribers, marking its best first-quarter result in nine years, taking its total to 22.4 million.

DIRECTV gained 328,000 subs in the U.S., for a total of 20.11 million. It lost 73,000 subscribers in Latin America, led by the loss of more than 100,000 in Brazil.

DISH Network shed 23,000 subscribers, ending the quarter with 13.87 million, down by 139,000 year on year.

Time Warner Cable gained 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 added 36,000, compared to 90,000 in the same quarter a year ago, taking its total to 5.86 million.

AT&T U-verse lost 382,000 subs, dropping down to 5.23 million. The service has lost 737,000 subscribers in 12 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.