Satellite TV operator DirecTV Group Inc. was one of the few pay-TV companies to gain

[BubblePuppy]

Satellite TV operator DirecTV Group Inc. was one of the few pay-TV companies to gain subscribers in the third quarter, though earnings stayed steady because of the higher costs it incurred attracting and serving those new customers.


http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=9007422

[jpl]

Yep, it looks like the trend that started at least going back to 3Q 2008 have been holding. Three providers have topped the list in net subscriber additions in those 4 quarters - DirecTV, AT&T, and Verizon. That trend has held - AT&T added some 240,000 subscribers, and Verizon 191,000. What's interesting about that last one has been due to Verizon's shift of focus. They've seriously scaled back their new market roll-outs, instead pushing to up their penetration rates in markets they already serve - indicating that their growth isn't just some fluke due to moving into a new market.

I also think DirecTV's strategy of going after higher end customers is a very smart one. They're the ones that will allow you to weather a recession better (fewer would be apt to cancel service during those times), and the revenue per customer is higher.

In probably the most stunning numbers I've seen so far in this round of quarterly numbers - Comcast lost a whopping 595,000 video customers in the 3rd quarter. I'll be very interested to see how Dish comes out of all this. I think they're positioned to pick up a good number of subscribers in this softer economy (in addition to the hardware angle, they've been pushing the low-cost angle as well with those 'why would I pay more for the same TV service?' ads I've been hearing on the radio).

[HerntDawg]

I would drop tv all together, so comcast would retain my internet at least.