DirecTV Group saw its second quarter profits decrease 11% versus the same quarter last year, but the good news is, net new subscribers increased by 224,000 upping its total worldwide subscriber base to 24.2 million.  Most of the growth seems to be coming in Latin America. DirecTV now claims 18.3 million users in the United States as of June 30, 2009.

DirecTV saw a net quarterly profit of $407 million, compared with $455 million last year, but revenues rose to $5.22 billion versus $4.81 billion a year ago.  Increased competition is driving the cost of gaining new subscribers higher.

This certainly falls into the category of “Not Surprising”, but it is interesting to see an estimate of the numbers. Compared to overall subscriber numbers the additions are small, but since cable provider subscriber numbers have been essentially flat for quite some time, any net addition is welcome. For reference, here are the latest cable and satellite provider subscriber numbers we have.

Cable, satellite and other pay TV companies are likely to gain 653,000 subscribers this year as a result of the June 12 transition to digital TV, according to an analysis from Wells Fargo Securities released Tuesday (July 7). Cable will benefit the most, adding 475,000 subscribers, followed by satellite (137,000) and the telecommunications companies (41,000).

Broken out by provider, Comcast’s incremental subscribers from the transition will total 169,780; Time Warner will gain 150,190; Cablevision 3,265; and other cable companies 151,496. DirecTV stands to add 78,770 and DISH 58,770.

The majority of over-the-air households switched to pay TV during first quarter, estimated at 368,000.

via MediaWeek.

We don’t focus much on the business of cable and satellite TV providers, but here’s a nice chart from mediabiz.com of cable and satellite subscriber numbers at the end of Q1, 2009. Click on the image for a full-sized verson.

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From Multichannel News:

High-definition programming may seem to be everywhere, but most of it is on HDTV channels that are simply simulcasts of standard-definition services.

Of the 40 to 140 HD channels available from larger pay TV providers, only a handful are HD-only linear channels. Being one of those few pure-play high-definition networks is something of a mixed blessing.

“For a new network, there is clearly an advantage in coming into the market as an all HD-network,” said Smithsonian Networks general manager Tom Hayden. “I’m not sure we would have gotten as much traction if we had come into the market as a standard-definition, ad-supported network.”

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A little over a week ago, Robert dreamt of a network created to produce and air new episodes of cancelled broadcast shows. The name that began being bandied about was The Castoff Network. Now, DirecTV hasn’t gone quite that far (producing new episodes), but they’ve decided to bring 3 shows back and air some of their previously unaired episodes. Can stealing the entire idea behind The Castoff Network be far behind?

DirecTV has dug up three more short-lived series to run on its 101 Network, bringing back episodes of mid-2000s dramas “Smith,” “The Nine” and “Eyes.”

Deal was made with Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution to bring back all three shows, which were canceled with additional episodes in the can. That means the DirecTV/101 run will include segs that have never been seen on TV.

Decision to bring back “Smith,” “The Nine” and “Eyes” is similar to its run this year of the short-lived Imagine TV drama “Wonderland.”

And as we’ve been hearing, DirecTV is still considering bringing back Friday Night Lights for one, or perhaps two, more seasons. That’s good news for the fans, because without DirecTV money, the show would be a goner.

In a more extensive deal, DirecTV and the 101 also picked up original episodes of “Friday Night Lights” this season. Talks are ongoing with Universal Media Studios and Imagine TV to bring the show back for another round; among the possibilities are a two-season order of 13 episodes apiece.

via DirecTV mines cancellations  - Variety.

from Advertising Age:

LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) — The economy may be in shambles, but satellite and cable companies are making whoopee.

Faced with increased competition from former phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon, satellite and cable companies are loosening their chastity belts and getting more aggressive about promoting adult content on other male-heavy channels such as ESPN and Spike TV. What’s more, even as they raise prices on regular channels, the price of their adult fare is about to get much cheaper and more attractive. – read the rest on AdAge.com

Multichannel News reports:

DirecTV delivered its best quarterly subscriber growth in three years, adding 301,000 net U.S. subscribers in the last three months of 2008, while net income for the quarter dropped 5%.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 was $5.31 billion, up 9% year over year, and earnings per share increased 7% to $0.32 compared with the same period last year.

The satellite operator’s 301,000 net adds in the U.S. — giving it 17.621 million subs at the close of 2008 — blew past analyst expectations; Sanford Bernstein had projected 214,600 net subscriber additions for the quarter. Analyst consensus estimates were earnings of 34 cents per share, though quarterly revenue was in line with expectations…

-read the rest on Multichannel News

here’s a press release via TNS Media Research, we’re  hopeful sooner or later we’ll see some of the data:

TNS Media Research Launches DIRECTView™- Further Advancing RPD Measurement in the U.S. In-depth TV Ratings Analytics Provide Live and Time-shifted Second-by-Second Audience Measurement of Programs and Commercials in 100,000 DIRECTV Homes

New York – January 28, 2009 – TNS Media Research, a division of TNS Media providing TV, Internet, and radio audience measurement worldwide, today announced the launch of the DIRECTView™ Service, an advanced TV ratings analytics tool that is the largest national audience measurement service in the U.S.

DIRECTView, which leverages Return Path Data (RPD) from the digital set-top boxes of 100,000 DIRECTV satellite television subscribers, enables measurement of the entire spectrum of live and time-shifted (DVR) audience viewing behaviors at a second-by-second level across more than 350 channels. The data is projectable to DIRECTV’s entire 17.3 million customer base.

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