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Dish Lost 143,000 Pay TV Subscribers Last Quarter

Even Dish's Sling TV streaming video service isn't keeping Dish from losing pay TV subscribers. Dish's first quarter earnings indicate that the satellite TV provider lost 143,000 pay TV subscribers during the first quarter of 2017, compared to a loss of just 23,000 pay TV subscribers during the first quarter of 2016. The losses are in part likely thanks to a protracted content blackout caused by a programming contract dispute with Hearst. Dish customers lost access to 33 Hearst TV stations in 26 markets in a standoff that was only just resolved.

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Dish intentionally includes new Sling TV customers in with its overall video subscriber totals, but analysts predict that Sling TV's momentum wasn't enough to help Dish.

MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett estimated in a research note to inevestors that Dish lost around 320,000 traditional satellite TV customers in the quarter -- a 9.1% dip in total users from last year. In contrast, Moffett estimates that Dish gained around 177,000 Sling TV users in the quarter. And while it's good that Dish is trying something different to try and appeal to cord cutters, traditional satellite customers pay significantly more money each month than Sling TV subscribers.

Dish also lost 25,000 net satellite broadband subscribers during the quarter, leaving them with a grand total of 555,000 broadband subs at the end of Q1.

Many cable providers can turn to broadband (and usage caps and overage fees) as they continue to bleed pay TV subscribers. Comcast, for example, uses its growing broadband monopoly (created as telcos refuse to upgrade their networks, driving frustrated DSL customers to faster speeds and cable TV bundles) to offset some of pay TV's decline. Dish has no such luxury, which is one of the reasons it's eyeing a wireless network.
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Anon4e1fa
@buckeyecom.net

1 recommendation

Anon4e1fa

Anon

dish

I'm thinking of canceling my dish soon. Contract is almost up and it's just not worth the price. Their DVR use to be good but now there is so much competition.
mist668
join:2011-02-15
Middleburg, PA

-1 recommendation

mist668

Member

Skewed

I pay for sling two months at a time. Then I cancel for a few months, wait for their retention letter with something free for prepaying for 2 months. Have a stack of Roku sticks not even opened.

kynshiro
join:2004-09-13
Sullivan City, TX

kynshiro

Member

dish anywhere app coming to android boxes

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· JQLeIWQM


Maybe this way dish can keep subscribers by letting customers use their own devices to watch dish hopper content without having to pay for for joeys fees.
kirk1233
join:2003-08-15
Gibsonia, PA

kirk1233

Member

Re: dish anywhere app coming to android boxes

I'd imagine this will be limited to one device at a time like DishAnywhere is now with other devices and computers...

SHSPVR
join:2003-12-15
Vinita, OK
Asus RT-AC3100

1 edit

SHSPVR to kynshiro

Member

to kynshiro
That and the fact that price is getting to god dam high and there v1 and v2 Joey are $#%ing joke in performance, I'm not sure about 4k joey.
And lot people are really piss about EPG switch still being so screwed up thank god I have SageTV every @#$@ing week there stuff not being recorded and I have manuel add them.

BabyBear
Keep wise ...with Nite-Owl
join:2007-01-11

1 recommendation

BabyBear

Member

Gone after 11 years

Right near the end of March I joined the cord cutters, and left Dish network after we had been with them since 2006. 2 Boxes (1 of them DVR) both SD and tv package had grown to $120 a mo. Didn't have any discounts going at the end. We had kept things as they are (didn't chase a triple-play deal of the week)as my Mother had a stroke back in '09. Even tho dementia had started working on her memory she was always able to remember how to watch he DVR'ed shows. She passed at the end of March and dish was no longer needed I don't watch any TV. Our original 2006 2 room receiver was costing $7 a month in rental(over $900 in fees over it lifetime).

They couldn't offer me for $5 a mo the only channel I wanted which would be CSN-Chicago to watch Cubs games. Cheapest they were offering was Family pack + CSN for like $45 a mo + $7 rental fee. Thanked them for the hearty laugh inducing offer and last month was the first month since 1982 we didn't have some form of Pay TV (including ONtv,Cable,Satellite).


Dan A
join:2008-01-03
Kendall Park, NJ

1 edit

1 recommendation

Dan A

Member

No RSN IN NYC

In New York the Largest Media Market Dish dropped SNY, MSG and MSG+ around 5 years ago rather then charge just a little more and have never carried YES. Ironically Sling TV caries YES but they don't offer SNY or MSG.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: No RSN IN NYC

Yup. And that pretty much shuts them out of most of NJ, a giant area in NY, and now with the Huskies on SNY, all of CT.
JosemicT
join:2016-09-21
Bon Aqua, TN

JosemicT

Member

sounds

Sounds like Dish has a pie chart enthusiast running the company to the ground...

Anon94bee
@2600:1006.x

Anon94bee

Anon

Cost for content

Monthly cost is outrageous when you get 13 minutes of show for the rest commercials,it sucks and the price just keeps going up
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

They've got nothing

DirecTV has got bundles, MDU deals, sports, and commercial. What does DISH have? Nothing.