Pay TV Down 80,000 Subs on the Year

According to the Leichtman Research Group, the 13 largest multi-channel video providers in the United States - representing about 94% of the market - added about 195,000 net additional video subscribers in Q1 2013, but lost about 80,000 subscribers in the last four quarters. Quarterly net multi-channel video gains in Q1 2013 were down compared to a net gain of about 445,000 in Q1 2012 and a net gain of about 470,000 in Q1 2011.The Q1 gains were not enough to offset subscriber losses from Q2 and Q3 2012, leaving major multi-channel video providers with a net loss of about 80,000 subscribers over the past year, compared to a net gain of about 380,000 over the prior year. This marks the first time there has been a net industry-wide subscriber loss over a four-quarter period (since LRG began tracking the industry more than a decade ago).Other findings indicate:

• The top multi-channel video providers account for about 94.9 million subscribers, with the top nine cable companies having more than 51.0 million video subscribers, satellite TV companies having 34.2 million subscribers, and top telephone companies having nearly 9.7 million subscribers.



• The top nine cable companies lost about 264,000 video subscribers in Q1 2013 and about a 1,560,000 over the past year, compared to a loss of about 1,535,000 subscribers over the prior year.



• The top telcos added 401,000 video subscribers in Q1 2013 and 1,319,000 over the past year, compared to 1,475,000 net additions over the prior year.



• Satellite TV providers added 57,000 subscribers in Q1 2013, the fewest in any Q1 over the past decade.



• Satellite TV providers added 160,000 subscribers over the past year, compared to a gain of 439,000 over the prior year.