Free Newsletter Subscription
        MCN All Access

DBS Growth Slowing; Digital Cable Still Leads

By Karen Brown -- Multichannel News, 4/8/2003 10:15:00 AM

DBS is still a great business, but it isn't as great these days, according to a new forecast from the Yankee Group.

The Boston-based telecommunications analyst firm now predicts the number of DBS households will rise from 20.6 million by the end of this year to 27.1 million by the end of 2007.

That is a 9 percent drop compared to the original estimate of 29.7 million. Yankee cut back its estimate based on the lower net growth rate for satellite services in 2002 and the impact of video on demand in driving rival digital cable subscriptions.

Yankee also gives cable operators the digital TV edge overall, predicting the number of digital cable households will rise to 22.6 million by year's end and will reach 39 million by the end of 2007. Factors helping MSOs keep that lead will be VOD and high-definition TV services, according to Yankee.

But DBS will continue to grow, in particular drawing away basic subscribers at a rate of less than 1 percent yearly.

Going forward, the Yankee analysts predict News Corp. will buy out Hughes Network Service's DirecTV Inc., but it will take as much as a year to get the regulatory approval and another six to 10 months to reform the DirecTV business.

After that, it will start to gain subscribers at a faster rate than rival DBS provider and one-time merger suitor EchoStar Communications Corp.

Talkback
Related Content

No related content found.

More >>>

Newbay Business Information Resource Center

Featured Company


Most Recent Resources

Advertisement
More Content
  • Voices
  • Photos
  • Podcasts

Sorry, no blogs are active for this topic.

Satellite Entourage

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Feb. 8.
DESIGN BY NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Feb. 1.
KEYSTONE HUNT

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Dec. 14.



Advertisement
About Us   |   Advertising Info   |   Site Map   |   Contact Us   |   Subscription   |   Affiliate Links   |   RSS
© 2011 NewBay Media, LLC. 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016 T (212) 378-0400 F (212) 378-0470
Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy