If DBS is dying, cable has found tentative new life. After years of competitive battering by satellite competition, the U.S. cable industry is showing signs that it’s once again on the upswing in terms of core video, or basic, customers.
During Q2 06, the top ten cable operators (Adelphia, Brighthouse, CableOne, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner) added a combined 165,000 net new core video customers, up from a 233,000 basic subscriber loss for Q2 05. So far in 2005, the group has added a collective 405,000 net new customers, compared to a loss of 199,000 customers during the first half of 2005.
Granted, the operators rallied way back during the first half of 2004, adding 189,000 net new core video customers, but that first half spark of false hope was snuffed out during the second half of 2004 when the group lost 298,000 net customers.
Still, the growth during the first two quarters of 2006 is encouraging — particularly given how weak DBS is right now and the fact that the telcos haven’t really ramped up with their network-based initiatives.
Cynthia Brumfield at 3:02 PM|Comments(0)
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