You realize the difference between the number of subs Direct has and Dish has is greater than the number of ST subs. Even if everyone of them left to go elsewhere, there will still be more subs on Direct than Dish
My question is simply how many DirecTV subs are there strickly because of something that DirecTV managed to monopolize? We will never get that true number. That number would be even greater if DirecTV got there way and became the only game in town for the MLB! One day, DirecTV will loose its status as "the only game in town". Their sports status is what is giving them many of their subs, and that will change.
Movie fans can't stand DirecTV. What's with their crappy offers for HBO and Cinemax (Cinemax has what, 2 channels with a thid being just the west coast feed of the main channel?) I know that Dish doesn't offer all either, but at least they're offering more at the same price. DirecTV also flat out refused EPIX, because they claimed that there were too many movie channels (aren't there too many sports channels?)
Also, they are in the same game of annoying their costomers over some of their programming disputes. I had my mother's boss asking me to allow him to watch the NHL on Versus at my house last season. I still listen to my friends complain about a little something called Sonic Tap. They basically demand that I put on Sirius XM when they come over. Can't we compare Versus to the FSN dispute (I know that most of us watch our RSNs more than Versus)? We can compare the Sonic Tap issue to the Fuse issue. Fuse fans on Dish can watch MTV or VH1, even though they are both horrible.
To wrap up this rant, all I'm saying is that DirecTV's status as the only game in town for some of the sports is the underlining factor behind many of the subs it has. If they played fairly and didn't monopolize the NFL, NASCAR, and others (YES not being included, Dish could have YES) those sub numbers, I believe, would be much different. Maybe more in cable's favor than anyone else.