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[opendtv] Re: News: Comcast Profit Rises 64% on Digital TV and Internet Services

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 18:08:54 -0400

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/business/businessspecial3/03comcast.ht
ml?th&emc=3Dth

------------------------------
Comcast Profit Rises 64% on Digital TV and Internet Services

By KEN BELSON

Published: August 3, 2005

The  Comcast Corporation, the country's largest cable
provider, said yesterday that profits jumped 64 percent in
the second quarter, buoyed by demand for digital television
and high-speed Internet services.

The company, which has 21.4 million television subscribers,
earned $430 million, or 19 cents a share, in the quarter
that ended June 30, compared with $262 million, or 12 cents
a share, in the same period last year.

Comcast is a bellwether for the industry, and like its
rivals it has been trying to sign up more customers for
digital television packages that provide high-definition
programming, more channels and access to video-on-demand.

It added a better-than-expected 284,000 digital television
subscribers in the quarter. As a result, 9.1 million, or
43 percent, of its customers now have digital services,
which typically cost $10 to $15 a month more than basic
cable plans. At the same time, Comcast lost 77,000 basic
cable customers, about twice what analysts had expected.

...
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It would be interesting to see the breakdown of these
numbers. For example, what aspects of the digital TV service
did people want most? The VOD? The HD content? The increased
choice? My bet is the latter two more than the first.

If they lost basic cable customers, to whom did they lose
these to? My bet would be mostly DBS, but this population
would be what DTT should go after. Those who bail out of
basic cable would likely be more attracted to DTT than to
NTSC, thanks to DTT's potential for greater choice and its
HD content. At least some of those who drop basic cable
might choose DTT over DBS (assuming that DBS is where
they're going).

Bert

 
 
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