By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
Did Dish Lose More Subscribers?
Dish, which is involved in multiple carriage disputes, announced today that it lost a net of 64,000 TV subscribers in the third quarter compared to a net increase of 30,000 in last year’s third quarter. However, despite the third quarter increase last year, Dish has lost roughly five million subscribers in the last eight years.
How Many Subscribers Did Sling TV Add?
The company’s satellite service, Dish, lost a net of 181,000 customers in the third quarter while its live streaming service, Sling TV, gained a net of 117,000 subs in the time period. While the Sling numbers might be regarded as good news, the streamer added 214,000 subscribers in the 2022 third quarter. Dish blamed the company’s overall subscriber decline on the increased competition in the streaming category, including new services which are selling programming directly to consumers without the need to sign up for a pay TV subscription.
“We continue to experience increased competition, including competition from other subscription video-on-demand and live-linear OTT service providers, many of which are providers of our content and offer football and other seasonal sports programming direct to subscribers on an a la carte basis,” Dish says in its financial statement.
Dish’s channel disputes likely are not helping the cause. The company is now without 77 network affiliates due to f0ur separate disputes with local broadcasters.
How Many Subscribers Does Dish Now Have?
Dish closed the third quarter with 8.84 million total pay TV subscribers, including 6.72 million Dish subscribers and 2.12 million Sling TV subscribers.
The TV provider also announced on Monday that company CEO Erik Carlson is resigning after 27 years with the company.
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
I left Dish after years of being with them. I went to a streaming service and am getting all the channels I like for 60 dollars less. They aren’t competitive at all. I wanted to like Sling, but they are crooks. They bill you the second you sign up and lie when you ask about a free trial. I was told I would get a 5 day free trial, but that was a lie. Couple that with no local Channels, and I found a new service. I still want Dish to have success because many people in rural areas can’t get internet/streaming, but I know others who left Dish at the same time I did. They have to figure it out.