DIRECTV is ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Satellite/Cable TV Subscribers" in the Southern, Western and Eastern regions of the United States, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Residential Cable/Satellite TV Customer Satisfaction Study. With Element, you get satellite technical support for all DIRECTV packages. Our responsive customer service and CSG partnership differentiates us from any other provider.
DIRECTV offers DVR services and the most advanced High-Definition (HD) upgrades in the marketplace. With up to 265 channels including locals and more than 30 movie channels and specialty sports networks, DIRECTV is a power player in the satellite industry.
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DIRECTV 3Q : 17.32 Million Subs, Higher Churn
DIRECTV executives said they were pleased with the company's third quarter performance, despite some hit-or-miss metrics for the DBS company.
CEO Chase Carey said DIRECTV's U.S. business was on target in terms of ARPU (average revenue per unit), which grew to $83.59 during the quarter. However, net subscriber additions of 156,000 for the period, which took the company's customer count to 17.32 million, were lower than last year's third quarter additions. Also, monthly churn climbed to 1.64 percent.
The quarterly net customer additions were lower than last year's third quarter additions due to a slight decline in gross additions and the higher churn rate, DIRECTV said. Carey also attributed the decline in gross additions to the end of a previous AT&T distribution agreement in former BellSouth territories, a deal that closed in April (though it should be noted that DIRECTV will become AT&T's exclusive satellite TV sales partner in 2009).
Churn was 1.49 percent for the DBS platform in the second quarter. When compared to the same period last year, DIRECTV said net income increased 14 percent to $363 million and revenues increased 15 percent to $4.98 billion. (The Morning Bridge 11/07/08)
DIRECTV Part of Verizon's New Marketing Push
Verizon has unveiled a series of offers and promotions, including a pitch that includes DIRECTV. The triple-play bundles are meant to promote broadband services from the telco company. The packages include local and long-distance calling, internet access with download speeds as fast as 7.1 Mbps, and DIRECTV starting at $79.99 a month for a year. Double-play bundles feature a combination of home phone and high-speed internet or a pairing of home phone and DIRECTV starting at $49.99 a month for a year.
When compared with ordering stand-alone service for each, the new bundles can save consumers between $15 and $35 a month, depending on the bundle selected, Verizon said.
While DIRECTV is part of that promotion mix, Verizon on Monday also launched an effort tied to its fiber-based FiOS TV offering. The telco said customers who sign up for FiOS TV by Dec. 31 will get free access for 90 days to three premium entertainment packages - Cinemax, HBO and FiOS TV's movie package - plus access to more than 9,000 free video-on-demand titles per month.
In addition, Verizon said its Home Media DVR is available to new customers for $15.99 a month - the price of a standard FiOS TV DVR - for the first 90 days. The deal changes to $19.99 a month after the promotion period. (Sky REPORT 11/04/08)
DISH, DIRECTV Keep Fighting Regulatory Fee Changes
Both DIRECTV and DISH Network were back at the Portals this week, arguing against a proposal from their video competitors that the regulatory fees they pay should be altered by the Federal Communications Commission. For the second time in three years, the FCC is seeking comment on whether the small dish platforms should pay fees based on a per-subscriber basis, similar to cable's fees. The push came from cable interests and others inside the Beltway. At the moment, DIRECTV and DISH pay regulatory fees based on the satellites and earth stations they operate for their respective services.
In joint comments filed late Monday, both DIRECTV and DISH said the cable industry and other video competitors have not made any justification for changes to the fee schedule. Also, cable cannot justify the changes in terms of regulatory parity, given that the wired business delivers services like broadband along with video, unlike satellite TV's single video focus, the companies stated in their FCC filing. (Sky REPORT 10/29/08)
TiVo Partners with DIRECTV for New HD DVR
DIRECTV and TiVo announced that they extended their relationship, a move that includes the development, marketing and distribution of a new HD DIRECTV DVR featuring TiVo's service.
The partnership also includes an extension of mutual intellectual property arrangements between the companies.
With the new HD DIRECTV DVR, DIRECTV and TiVo said they would work together to develop a version of the TiVo service for DIRECTV's broadband-enabled HD DVR platform. The product will include TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone.
The HD DVR is expected to launch in the second half of 2009.
DIRECTV said it will continue to develop and offer its own portfolio of set-top boxes. The TiVo box will be offered as an alternative choice to customers of the satellite TV service, the companies said.
DIRECTV and TiVo started their relationship in 2000 with the launch of the first DIRECTV DVR with TiVo service. (Sky REPORT 9/16/08)