Set-Top Slowdown Spooks S-A
By Staff -- Multichannel News, 11/16/2003 7:00:00 PM
Scientific-Atlanta Inc. shares dipped 5% ($1.48 per share) between Nov. 7 and Nov. 11 on fears that cable operators — especially Cablevision Systems Corp. — were slowing down their purchases of digital set-top boxes.
Cablevision released its third-quarter results Nov. 11, reporting digital-subscriber additions of 158,000 in the period, down from 196,000 second-quarter additions. That sent S-A stock down, as the Atlanta-based cable-equipment provider is one of Cablevision's biggest suppliers of digital set-tops.
According to S-A's 10-Q quarterly report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Nov. 12, sales of digital set-tops were up 54% year-over-year in the fiscal first quarter (ended Oct. 3), but down slightly on a sequential basis. Of the 940,000 digital boxes S-A shipped in the period, 60,000 were sold to Cablevision.
Cablevision accounted for 19% of S-A's total sales in fiscal 2003.
While other MSOs have experienced slower digital growth as the service matures – most cable operators are either at or past 30% digital-services penetration – Cablevision was expected to add digital customers at an accelerated rate because it only launched its digital product last year.
No related content found.
Featured Company
-
Bigband Networks
BigBand Networks, Inc. NASDAQ: BBND provides broadband service providers with innovative network solutions designed to make it easier to move, manage and monetize video. These solutions are based on BigBand's video-networking platforms that are built to enable efficient and relia..more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
