Comcast continues to bleed television subscribers, but is making up some of the difference by expanding its high-speed internet and telecom reach.
Thats the latest from the cable operator after reporting 1st quarter results this morning. Overall, Comcast lost 57,000 basic television customers, but made up for it in other areas. High speed internet subscriptions increased by 492,000 and digital telephone subscriptions jumped by 639,000. Company officials credited aggressive marketing and promotions focused on local markets as contributors to the growth.
The numbers show the continued strength of the triple-play bundle. With the ability to offer packages that include video, voice, and internet, Comcast and Time Warner in particular have the opportunity to capture and hold consumer interest. Telecom players Verizon and AT&T have recently entered the video arena, building out their fiber networks in order to offer their own triple-play offerings. While Verizon has been extremely aggressive in their FiOS expansion, AT&T has taken a more measured approach with their U-Verse offering.
The telecom operators have also joined forces with satellite television providers DISH Network and DirecTV to round out their triple-play bundles. In areas where their own video offerings are not available, AT&T resells DISH Network packages. Verizon and Qwest currently contract to offer DIRECTV programming in their respective territories.
While DIRECTV was able to weather the triple-play storm last year, DISH Network suffered from the slowing economy and a lack of HD content. Both satellite television providers come out with their first quarter earnings reports in the days ahead, DIRECTV on May 7th and DISH Network on May 13th.
