DISH Network Reports Second Quarter 2013 Financial Results

[lparsons21]

I sub to all of the premiums except Starz, primarily because of the original stuff and boxing. Currently I'm getting all of them for 1/2 off, but when that runs out I'll have to do some rethinking as I don't like to let the bill get too far over the $100 mark. As it sits, the 1/2 off will run out a little after the 1st year discounts do, so the bill will jump quite a bit.

Since HBO has such great series and some boxing, and Showtime has really great boxing and so-so series (IMO), I'll most likely keep them.

Max will come and go with StrikeBack and Banshee.

Starz won't come back as I can do the VOD Starz 'cause I keep BB@Home.

I have T250 and it is hard to drop that as my son is enamored with the UFC stuff on Fuel, I suppose I could drop to the T200 and keep the Multi-sports and accomplish the same thing.
?

 

[nelson61]

The problem Dish and all the others have is the mature market. Anyone that wants tv already has it and so it is just a game of musical chairs for price and content. Add in the political power of those in the fly over zones that only have 2 providers (Dish/Directv) . They will resist having a monopoly provider if the satellite providers combined (in the "zone"). So, the future looks bleak for growth.

Sure looks like it is turning into a low margin, common carrier type of business. This is not necessarily bad, just not a good business for those that are always seeking higher margins or faster growth.

Re: Pricing -- I was talking to a guy that works for ABC Sports at coffee this morning. He told me that ESPN is the big dog in the monthly bill you get -- something like $6/month. Said that the big 4 are all working on their sports networks but it is tough sledding and they are having trouble breaking the lock ESPN has on the market.

 

[Juan]

Do you have published statistics to back up your litany of claims or are you just throwing everything you can think of at DISH hoping that some of it sticks?

I'd say that TWC is probably in the lead for the last few years and their recent battles with ABC and CBS drive that home pretty well.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-02/dish-network-the-meanest-company-in-america http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Ech...mpany-culture-at-EchoStar-DISH-Network/t35521

 

[CK SatGuy]

Re: Pricing -- I was talking to a guy that works for ABC Sports at coffee this morning. He told me that ESPN is the big dog in the monthly bill you get -- something like $6/month. Said that the big 4 are all working on their sports networks but it is tough sledding and they are having trouble breaking the lock ESPN has on the market.

ABC Sports still exists? I thought that got completely merged with ESPN. (Hence the ESPN on ABC graphics)

 

[KAB]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-02/dish-network-the-meanest-company-in-america http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Ech...mpany-culture-at-EchoStar-DISH-Network/t35521

Again, an OLD, off subject, anti-Dish, Juan-ticle.

 

[whitewolf8214]

The Deal: Ergen's Dish Choices Get Slimmer http://www.thestreet.com/story/1200...oices-get-slimmer.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

 

[MikeD-C05]

So either a merger with T-Mobile or sell the wireless spectrum DISH has already bought and merge with Directv. I have a feeling that the merger with DIRECTV may be the only way now. Unfortunately that will only delay the inevitable. Satellite tv is a dieing industry, as evidenced by both sat companies losing subs this year, not just DISH . As long as broad band is a distant dream in rural areas , satellite tv will have a purpose. But if they ever do get broadband to be accessible to all parts of the country I can see satellite tv going the way of the Big C band dishes with in ten years. Charlie sees this now and that is why he is trying so hard to buy a cell phone company to partner his tv service with.

 

[Tampa8]

I don't totally disagree, however it isn't the Satellite industry losing subs it is Cable also. A good part of that is the economy, along with what it costs now. If the economy ever rebounds, something however I no longer believe is inevitable, and/or costs can be contained possibly by changing the model as has been discussed in different ways, then I'm not so sure Satellite is dead.
And I actually have questions about Broadband. If it was indeed readily and reliably available, does it have enough bandwidth or would we be seeing a paired down TV service? Also, would the cost be reasonable streaming that kind of data? I have fast broadband now, but streaming TV as my only source is iffy. First, I get throttled, and at times in the early morning and evening it slows down considerably. Then an accident in another town even can interrupt service. Do people foresee these things being addressed if we relied on broadband totally? Seems to me at that point the Internet provider(s) have all the cards.

 

[mike123abc]

It is interesting that it is so quite on the cellular front considering all the drama the past months with the Dish/Sprint fight. I wonder what negotiations are going on in the background.

 

[navychop]

Let's see. Content providers see reduced income from pay TV providers as people move to streaming. You think they might jack up streaming costs to compensate? DUH!

 

[Tampa8]

That question does not even need to be asked!

 

[csmith5111]

Its not price..its not value..its not sports.. Dish has lost its focus on the customer..some people just get sick and tired of a company that drops a channel at the hint of a dispute (yes everybody does it but some just to do it more) Dish just wants to make money..they treat employees like crap (plenty of articles on that) so they have heavy turnover in their call centers forcing customers to deal with poorly trained new reps. Once upon a time Charlie Ergen had the pulse of the customer in his heart of hearts now its just plain old greed

Ever think that maybe it is the customers that cause a lot of those employees to quit? Dish treated me right. I saw Dish treat a lot of my coworkers right. The ones that got all pissed off were not doing there job. Didn't like change. Would complain about change every second of the day. Add all that to bitchy customers and this employees will start to think it is the company and pick out every little thing to say it is wrong. I made $14.60 before I left Dish to focus on getting my degree. There are very few companies that pay that kind of money. I worked with people that made over $20 doing the same job as me. They worked there for years and did a great job. I started at $11 and 3.5 years later I gained a lot.

 

[csmith5111]

Perhaps shear numbers of subscribers? I see Charter and Cox cable are rumored to be talking merger very much for that reason. I didn't realize how small each is, combined would still have less than DISH, and of course DIRECT. The numbers game - larger clout when dealing with contracts, perhaps cost of manufacturing receivers goes down, etc....

Problem is, do we see DIRECT and DISH as each the main competitor to the other, or do we see DISH and DIRECT in competition with Cable and maybe Internet offerings? Would one Satellite company become complacent, or would it make it bolder to compete with Cable?

When Sirius and XM merged that was the question. There are some who feel their product was diluted after the merger. But I am with the vast majority that very much like Sirius/XM and feel one or both may well have failed without the merger.

I definitely don't see DirecTV as a major competitor to DISH. It is definitely the cable companies. Especially the ones that own the damn content too. Here's looking at you Comcast and TWC. Damn you CBS and Fox

 

[acostapimps]

I definitely don't see DirecTV as a major competitor to DISH. It is definitely the cable companies. Especially the ones that own the damn content too.

The same thing the other way around as Directv see cable company as competition, Just look at their commercials.