• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 26, 2013

According to the Leichtman Research Group, the thirteen largest multi-channel video providers in the US, representing 94% of the market, lost 345,000 net additional video subscribers in the 2ndQ of 2013. In 2ndQ 2012 and in 2ndQ 2011, the multi-channel video industry lost 325,000 subscribers. The top multi-channel video providers account for nearly 94.6 million subscribers, says the report, with the top nine cable companies having about 50.5 million video subscribers, satellite TV companies having over 34 million subscribers, and top telephone companies having over 10 million subscribers.

Other key findings include:

• The top nine cable companies lost about 555,000 video subscribers in 2ndQ 2013, compared to a loss of about 540,000 subscribers in 2ndQ 2012
• The top telephone providers added 373,000 video subscribers in 2ndQ 2013, compared to 275,000 net additions in 2ndQ 2012
• Satellite TV providers lost 162,000 subscribers in 2ndQ 2013, compared to a loss of 62,000 in 2ndQ 2012. Although just the third time DBS providers reported net quarterly losses, total DBS net losses in 2ndQ 2013 were the highest in any quarter since LRG began tracking the industry over a decade ago
• Over the past year, multi-channel video providers lost about 100,000 subscribers, compared to a gain of about 380,000 over the prior year. DirecTV added 107,000 subscribers over the past year, compared to 481,000 over the prior year

Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, says “… industry-wide losse… similar to recent second quarters… multi-channel video industry has leveled-off… major providers losing about 0.1% of all subscribers over the past year… ”

Multi-Channel Video Industry Subscribers
Multi-channel Video Provider	Subscribers at the end of 2ndQ 2013	Net Adds in 2ndQ 2013	Net Adds in 2ndQ 2012
Cable Companies
Comcast	21,776,000	(159,000)	(176,000)
Time Warner	11,911,000	(189,000)	(169,000)
Charter	4,073,000	(51,000)	(72,000)
Cablevision*	3,171,000	(20,000)	0
Suddenlink	1,189,000	(22,900)	(19,900)
Mediacom	983,000	(16,000)	(22,000)
Cable ONE	575,762	(12,418)	(9,610)
Other major private companies**	6,810,000	(85,000)	(70,000)
Total Top Cable	50,488,762	(555,318)	(538,510)
Satellite TV Companies (DBS)
DirecTV	20,021,000	(84,000)	(52,000)
DISH	14,014,000	(78,000)	(10,000)
Total Top DBS	34,035,000	(162,000)	(62,000)
Telephone Companies
Verizon FiOS	5,035,000	140,000	120,000
AT&T U-verse	5,001,000	233,000	155,000
Total Top Phone	10,036,000	373,000	275,000
Total Multi-channel Video	94,559,762	(344,318)	(325,510)
Sources: The Companies and Leichtman Research Group, August, 2013; * Cablevision includes estimate for former Bresnan properties sold to Charter on 7/1/2013; ** Includes LRG estimates for Cox, and Bright House Networks

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