TMCnet News

Legacy multichannel subscriptions remain under pressure, S&P Report Finds
[May 17, 2018]

Legacy multichannel subscriptions remain under pressure, S&P Report Finds


MONTEREY, Calif., May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditional multichannel video losses in the first quarter (period ended March 31, 2018) showed modest improvement over the same period in 2017, but the magnitude of the decline remains elevated, according to the Q1 2018 U.S. Multichannel Subscriber Report by Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Combined cable, direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and telecom multichannel subscriptions fell 0.8% sequentially, to 93.2 million, including 90.3 million residential customers. However, noteworthy gains for virtual platforms DIRECTV NOW and Sling TV put the evolution of the sector in perspective; the quarterly subscription losses are cut in half when including DIRECTV NOW and Sling TV and raise the overall residential figure to 94.1 million.

Additional takeaways from Kagan's 1st-quarter U.S. Multichannel Subscriber report:  

  • The residential multichannel penetration rate stood at 76.1% as of March 31 when including the VSPs owned by AT&T an DISH Network (DIRECTV NOW and Sling TV).



  • Cable operators logged their largest first-quarter video subscriber decline on record, with the top two MSOs, Comcast and Charter, accounting for 59% of the drop.

  • Telco video appears to be regaining its footing as AT&T's U-verse stabilizes. The platform's video customer losses fell below 100,000 for the first time since the third quarter of 2015.


  • DBS losses ramped back up in the first quarter, bringing the sector's total down to 31.1 million.

About S&P Global Market Intelligence

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we know that not all information is important—some of it is vital. Accurate, deep and insightful. We integrate financial and industry data, research and news into tools that help track performance, generate alpha, identify investment ideas, understand competitive and industry dynamics, perform valuations and assess credit risk. Investment professionals, government agencies, corporations and universities globally can gain the intelligence essential to making business and financial decisions with conviction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

 


Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legacy-multichannel-subscriptions-remain-under-pressure-sp-report-finds-300650582.html

SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence


[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]