DISH Network sheds another 10,000 subscribers in Q3
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 12th 2008 7:25AM
posted Nov 12th 2008 7:25AM
DISH Network's Q3 results are out, and unfortunately, it's more of the same. Following the significant drop in subscriber growth in Q1, and and 25,000 subscribers lost in Q2 comes the news that Q3 saw another 10,000 subscriber drop while customer churn, customer acquisition costs and equipment costs all rose. Things aren't looking a lot better in the short term, with the end of the company's Advanced TV partnership with AT&T while the troubled economy makes it harder to attract new customers and borrow money to invest in new equipment (we're also figuring that $104 million headed to TiVo's pockets won't help). That leaves less than 14 million customers still around to catch that sweet 1080p VOD, last one out hit the lights, ok?Read - Subscribers Ditch Dish Network
Read - Dish Profit Drops 54% on Subscriber Losses, Charges
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> That leaves less than 14 million customers
That's still ten times higher than the number of households with standalone Blu-ray players...
Not that "Being more popular than Blu-ray" is a great metric, but EHD suggesting Dish Network's on its last legs because it has had a few bad months while suggesting Blu-ray is going to turn the corner any moment now because a few titles that appeal to PS3 owners distorted the sales figures is, well, evidence of not entirely rational judgment.
It’s their own fault. I had until just recently be a Dish Network customer for 8 years. I finally wanted to upgrade to get hi-def as a bought a couple of new TV’s the problem was I couldn’t get a good signal. I was then told that I could use their new eastern arc satellite which I would have had clear LOS to. Only after scheduling the appointment and having the installers come out did I find that they didn’t have half the equipment because I had to be a “New” customer.
So now I’m with Direct TV and they have lost another customer. How is getting a new customer or retaining an old customer any different? It’s shortsightedness like this that will put them out of business.
"How is getting a new customer or retaining an old customer any different? It’s shortsightedness like this that will put them out of business."
It's actually very different. Keeping you costs them much less than trying to find someone to replace you.
You're right, I've never understood why cable/sat/et al seem so willing to give up their long-term customers when all that person wants is a deal similar (not necessarily the same) as they give their new customers. They give new customers and HD package for $80/month, while I pay $100/month and we can't split the difference at $90/month? That's the whole reason I left cable and I would leave any service for the same reason...
I wonder where they are losing these customers to. I imagine that as the economy worsens, people are switching to the more economical packages for phone/data/tv from the cable companies.
I have used the local cable company service (Cablevision) for HD DVR TV, and all I can say is that DISH blows them away! The system works fast and efficiently. The cable system is slow and suffers from crappy PQ. But, with the way things are now, I guess it is all about the money saved. Too bad. I hope DISH hangs in there. I enjoy there service immensely (other than the overpriced PPV).
They lost me to DirecTV.
Maybe if they would stop taking up existing customers bandwidth with the 2 dozen or so "home shopping" channels that might help. Oh, and the 24hr a day Obama infomercial for the past 2 months did not sit well either (even with those of us who chose to vote for him). Seriously, why is my subscription getting filled up with more and more "not really channels"? Cut the fluff and give me some good channels at a good price. I hate the cable company with a passion, but Dish's treatment of current customers is really forcing me to look at other options.
Something tells me they could really use a small team of people to search/read blog posts about them, like other pay-TV providers
I would love to switch to the dish, but being in central Florida the weather makes it difficult to make the switch.
You could always request an oversized dish. If you get a 24 inch instead of a 12 inch, that should be able to pull signal even in terrible weather. They're not keen on suggesting the oversized dishes (they don't keep many on hand, more expensive to the company), but the local installation office should have some. It's usually a free upgrade if you ask nicely...
You could always request an oversized dish. If you get a 24 inch instead of a 12 inch, that should be able to pull signal even in terrible weather. They're not keen on suggesting the oversized dishes (they don't keep many on hand, more expensive to the company), but the local installation office should have some. It's usually a free upgrade if you ask nicely...
I wonder where the people that left are going? I left Dish Network for DirecTV because my receiver died twice (which actually may be a problem with the power in my apartment), and (at the time) DirecTV had a few more HD channels. Now that everything is mostly even on the HD front (AFAIK), and having had both, I have to say that the Dish Network hardware blows the DirecTV hardware away, and everything else is basically equal. I would say that my DirecTV receiver is just as bad (slow, clunky UI) as the comcast receivers I've seen. Once my term is up with DirecTV, I'm definitely going back to DN, no question.
I just signed up for Dish Network about a month ago for the Turbo HD Gold service. I got a free install with no up front charges with AT&T, as well as the spiffy new "Eastern Arc" dish.
So far no complaints. The guy who installed everything was great, the DVR is good (although the menus look like they are from 2002), and the picture is great. Better yet, I'm saving about $20 per month compared to Directv and Time Warner. Better yet, no upfront costs, and for about 60$ per month I get about 60 halfway decent HD channels that I actually watch instead of 300 ones that I could care less about.
I really hope Dish doesn't go under.
I like Dish HD video/audio quality and subscribe to "everything" except sports, on-demand, and ppd. BUT: Dish has absolutely NO content specifically intended for a GLBT audience - no ppv, no porn, no on-demand, nada. IMO that prudish failure is stupid, poor marketing. The GLBT audience is waiting anxiously for GLBT specific content. Go for it Dish - start "dishin it" out!
That's the answer. Gay porn. (NTTAWWT)
I recieved a flier in the mail for Dish Network. I ordered TV
service and Internet service. It was suppost to cost me about $80.00
per month for both. Currently I have Dish Network for TV sevice and
Hughesnet for the Intenet and it cost me $130.00. This not what I
ordered and currently Dish Network and the Retailer will not do
anything about it. It appears Dish Network does not care about there
customers or service. Dish Network does not care that the retailer
divided my account with another company. My account should have been
with Dish Network for both TV and Internet. Dish Network is receiving
money they never had before so what do they care, That is the
atttitude Dish Network has and displays. I will be leaving Dish Network. They lake in good management skills is their donwfall.