DISH Network Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2010 Financial Results

[yaz96]

Like I said before who cares about DirecTV? This is the Dish Network Forum and I don't?.

It's like you DirecTV guys have to try to build up DirecTV in the Dish Network Forum? Why is that?.

I will say DK I do like the fact when you talk about your DirecTV account being cheaper than Dish Network? alot of times you leave out that your account is "grandfathered".

You don't see me running over to the DirecTV Forum posting stuff?.I guess all these DirecTV installers need the business?.

Time to take off the glasses and lay off the kool-aid......

 

[Jhon69]

The HD Absolute wouldnt factor on the 4th quarter numbers.

And while I hate seeing members take pot shots at a company they do not do business with, I feel that DISH had it coming here. The writing was on the wall last yeat. Anyone who didn't see it coming needs to have their eyes checked.

What I find funny is that if you watch this industry like I have that you will see that it is normal for the companies to bounce like this. Sometimes DISH is on top then boom DIRECTV is on top.

Personally while it was bad for some subscribers who left I do feel that DISH will learn from their mistakes (they have to) and will try better. On the DirecTV side I hope they don't become happy with this and stop trying as we have seen them do in the past. New HD should be a priority right now as I am seeing many DIRECTV customers getting upset at the lack of new HD and thos folks may just jump and push the momentum back to DISH again. DIRECTV should be using this time to push further ahead and not just sit there like a sitting duck.

Scott,Excellent post as always.

You are correct as I have had DirecTV before when they get into a comfort zone they get complacent,the same can be said about Dish Network.

 

[Tampa8]

Before jumping to conclusions, I would want to know how many of those subscribers were not encouraged by Dish to stay, or who were terminated. I see so many posts of people complaining they asked for free things to stay, Dish would not comply, and they will or did leave, that I wonder if Dish decided they were financially better off without them.....

 

[Jhon69]

Time to take off the glasses and lay off the kool-aid......

I did,I left DirecTV in Oct.2009.

 

[yaz96]

I have to wonder how many of the customers Dish lost were "high maintenance" customers - those that demanded '"deals", freebies, etc. Losing a number of that type of consumer can positively affect the botom line.

Before jumping to conclusions, I would want to know how many of those subscribers were not encouraged by Dish to stay, or who were terminated. I see so many posts of people complaining they asked for free things to stay, Dish would not comply, and they will or did leave, that I wonder if Dish decided they were better off without them.....

What you are talking about is pure speculation, based an a fraction of the users here, which is an even smaller fraction of actual Dish subscribers. No merit.


A better question is, how many of those called in asked for a break on their rate, in order to keep their service with Dish, Dish said no, so the customer churned to a competitor with lower prices.

 

[Jhon69]

Before jumping to conclusions, I would want to know how many of those subscribers were not encouraged by Dish to stay, or who were terminated. I see so many posts of people complaining they asked for free things to stay, Dish would not comply, and they will or did leave, that I wonder if Dish decided they were financially better off without them.....

That may be a possibility,but unless there is inside information?.Who knows?

 

[Tampa8]

It's not pure speculation when there are many actual posts supporting what I am saying. Conjecture perhaps... And I am not so sure, other than the level of knowledge, that subscribers here are not a representation of their subscribers...

 

[yaz96]

I did,I left DirecTV in Oct.2009.

Maybe you forgot the tin foil hat.

Seems like you're just wearing a different brand of shades...

 

[Tampa8]

That may be a possibility,but unless there is inside information?.Who knows?

I do agree with that....

Unless we find out all the details, we just don't know if Dish is worried, or if there is a longer term plan. It could well be a calculated move, and with the amount of HD, HD for life, Satellite maneuvering, and ever expanding internationals, they feel they have a good foundation for the future. Of course it could be they did not expect the numbers....

I will remind everyone, since 1996 or so, I have seen the posts and columns about the demise of Dish, yet here they are....

 

[lparsons21]

Scott,Excellent post as always.

You are correct as I have had DirecTV before when they get into a comfort zone they get complacent,the same can be said about Dish Network.

I agree, Scott's postings almost always are good and to the point.

I was a D* subscriber myself and only left when I couldn't tolerate the doggy HR21 that kept getting worse with each upgrade. With the HR24, I considered going back. But no matter how I would configure a system, it all came in higher than I'm paying Dish, and I wouldn't get BBC and AMC in HD, which is important to my viewing pleasure.

I would think that D* would add national HD, but their financials sure don't give them any incentive to do so.

I think Dish's recent price raise and then a 2-year lock of the programming costs is a step in the right direction. If they can keep themselves from increasing the customer's bill, they should see both a reduction in churn and an increase in subscribers. Especially those potential subscribers not so much interested in sports as in other HD.

 

[Jhon69]

Maybe you forgot the tin foil hat.

Seems like you're just wearing a different brand of shades...

No I wear my tin foil shorts! Protect the "family jewels" I always say.

So I shouldn't like Dish Network? Hmm...well I don't like Charter...don't care for DirecTV....well it's either Dish Network or OTA and DVDs,those are my only options where I'm at....sorry.

 

[Teehar]

One thing that Dish can do to stop losing subs is to change the policies of the audit (nazi) team.Maybe they see it as trimming the fat so to speak but chances are they have lost a great deal of honest subscribers over the lousy treatment of the audit team.

 

[yaz96]

No I wear my tin foil shorts! Protect the "family jewels" I always say.

So I shouldn't like Dish Network? Hmm...well I don't like Charter...don't care for DirecTV....well it's either Dish Network or OTA and DVDs,those are my only options where I'm at....sorry.

I never said you shouldn't like Dish. I have Dish.

You just need try to be a little bit objective, instead of blindly defending them.

Even Scott said, "And while I hate seeing members take pot shots at a company they do not do business with, I feel that DISH had it coming here. The writing was on the wall last yeat. Anyone who didn't see it coming needs to have their eyes checked."

 

[Hall]

It'd be nice if somehow, somewhere, a television service would operate at slimmer profit margins to try to provide more value to it's customers.

So, how soon can we sign up with "HanoverPretzel Satellite Service" ?

It's easy to ask someone else to provide more for less, ain't it ?

 

[tomcrown1]

What you are talking about is pure speculation, based an a fraction of the users here, which is an even smaller fraction of actual Dish subscribers. No merit.


A better question is, how many of those called in asked for a break on their rate, in order to keep their service with Dish, Dish said no, so the customer churned to a competitor with lower prices.

How about the dish Nazi department being the blame for customer leaving. if Iam ever called by these folks I will leave dish and not comply with their edicts.

 

[Juan]

I just find it kinda odd that the "premiere company" has totally blown off adding new HD channels and hasn't seemed to suffer at all. The company that seems to be bending over backwards (i.e. free starz) is bleeding customers like a cut artery

 

[andrewj0781]

What are all the start up cost? Equipment is recycled, Most cases LBN is recycled. So besides the installer what other cost are involved with a new install?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The cable (see the prices of copper lately?)

They use new switches, new dishes and most of the receivers going in are brand new as well. (I can tell you a 922 does not cost $200 to make, it costs a lot more....)

 

[Juan]

What are all the start up cost? Equipment is recycled, Most cases LBN is recycled. So besides the installer what other cost are involved with a new install?

equipment changes too much to really be recycled. but u have the technicians salary, materials and the cost of gas not to mention dealer commisions

 

[Hall]

What are all the start up cost? Equipment is recycled, Most cases LBN is recycled.

NEW customers with Dish do NOT get used/refurbished receivers. The dishes don't get returned to Dish (and the number taken down and swapped by techs will be tiny). LNBs and switches ? Maybe.