Key facts from selected cable and satellite TV industry earnings reports

A look at cable, satellite TV earnings reports

Here is a summary of earnings reports for selected cable and satellite TV companies and what they reveal about the industry’s prospects:

July 28: Comcast Corp., like many other cable TV companies, continues to lose television customers. In the second quarter, Comcast lost 265,000 basic video subscribers to end with 23.2 million. That’s greater than the loss of 214,000 in the same period last year. But Comcast is seeing growth in those signing up for pricier digital cable service, and it’s seeing growth in high-speed Internet and phone customers.

Aug. 4: Charter Communications Inc. lost 76,600 basic television subscribers during the quarter to end with 4.7 million. That was offset by gains in digital video, Internet and phone subscribers.

Aug. 5: Time Warner Cable Inc., the nation’s second-largest cable TV company, lost 111,000 basic video subscribers to end the seasonally slower second quarter with 12.7 million. But Time Warner Cable saw more customers sign up for digital cable TV, Internet and phone services.

Cablevision Systems Corp., a regional cable TV company in the New York City area, reports strong performance across the board, adding video subscribers in the second quarter unlike other major cable TV operators. Cablevision gained 2,900 video customers to end the quarter with 3.07 million.

DirecTV Inc., the nation’s largest satellite TV provider, says it added 100,000 net U.S. subscribers in the second quarter to end with 18.8 million. The company also added 415,000 subscribers in Latin America, boosted by the World Cup soccer tournament, to end the quarter with 5.2 million.

Aug. 9: Dish Network Corp. says it lost 19,000 subscribers to end with 14.3 million. This came after Dish gained about 237,000 during the previous quarter because of aggressive promotional discounting.