Washington, D.C.
(April 26, 2007) --
Comcast said
today that new High-Definition and DVR subs have jumped 72
percent over the last year.
The cable operator said 535,000 customers added either a high-def or DVR service in the first quarter, compared to 310,000 in the first quarter last year. Roughly 20 percent of Comcast's total 25 million subs now subscribe to high-def or DVR service, or both.
Unlike most cable and satellite providers, Comcast does not break down how many subscribers have High-Definition TV and how many have Digital Video Recorders. They include both in the same category.
The cable operator said 535,000 customers added either a high-def or DVR service in the first quarter, compared to 310,000 in the first quarter last year. Roughly 20 percent of Comcast's total 25 million subs now subscribe to high-def or DVR service, or both.
Unlike most cable and satellite providers, Comcast does not break down how many subscribers have High-Definition TV and how many have Digital Video Recorders. They include both in the same category.
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In its first quarter financial report, Comcast also reported a 82 percent increase in digital cable subscribers over the same period last year.
Digital cable is the term used to describe an expanded package of channels and services, such as Video on Demand, HD and DVR.
The company credited a stronger interest in VOD, HDTV and DVRs as the reason for the increase in digital cable subs.
During the company's earnings call on Thursday with Wall Street analysts, Comcast executives made the following comments related to high-def issues:
"We now have 5 million, or 38%, of our digital customers taking high-definition DVR services. These customers are among our best customers and pay on average $75 or more for video services a month, a $25 premium to the digital starter customer category." -- Comcast CFO John Alchin.
"There are really three causes for the acceleration of our digital rollout. First, we're seeing a lot of demand for high-def and DVR boxes. As John mentioned, 38% of our digital customers or 5 million customers now take either a high-def box or a DVR box or some combination of both. What that means is 20% of all of our 25 million or so customers now have high-def or DVR or combined functionality which is amazing, since we've only been at it a few years." -- Comcast President Steve Burke.
"It is amazing when you actually look at statistics of customers who bought high-def sets who think they're getting high-def actually are not yet getting high-def. Then they finally get the real high-def and they're really in love with the product. So new televisions just improve television, period, when they're hooked to digital and of course eventually people realize to hook it up to the real HDTV it then becomes incredibly compelling." Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
"Right now we have all the high-def channels that anybody cares about. It's interesting because DIRECTV runs a lot of advertising saying how they're going to have all these great high-def channels, but the fact of the matter is most of our systems have 20 to 25 high-def channels. Right now we're offering high-def video-on-demand." -- Burke when asked about DIRECTV's plans to offer 100 national HD channels by year's end.
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In its first quarter financial report, Comcast also reported a 82 percent increase in digital cable subscribers over the same period last year.
Digital cable is the term used to describe an expanded package of channels and services, such as Video on Demand, HD and DVR.
The company credited a stronger interest in VOD, HDTV and DVRs as the reason for the increase in digital cable subs.
During the company's earnings call on Thursday with Wall Street analysts, Comcast executives made the following comments related to high-def issues:
"We now have 5 million, or 38%, of our digital customers taking high-definition DVR services. These customers are among our best customers and pay on average $75 or more for video services a month, a $25 premium to the digital starter customer category." -- Comcast CFO John Alchin.
"There are really three causes for the acceleration of our digital rollout. First, we're seeing a lot of demand for high-def and DVR boxes. As John mentioned, 38% of our digital customers or 5 million customers now take either a high-def box or a DVR box or some combination of both. What that means is 20% of all of our 25 million or so customers now have high-def or DVR or combined functionality which is amazing, since we've only been at it a few years." -- Comcast President Steve Burke.
"It is amazing when you actually look at statistics of customers who bought high-def sets who think they're getting high-def actually are not yet getting high-def. Then they finally get the real high-def and they're really in love with the product. So new televisions just improve television, period, when they're hooked to digital and of course eventually people realize to hook it up to the real HDTV it then becomes incredibly compelling." Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
"Right now we have all the high-def channels that anybody cares about. It's interesting because DIRECTV runs a lot of advertising saying how they're going to have all these great high-def channels, but the fact of the matter is most of our systems have 20 to 25 high-def channels. Right now we're offering high-def video-on-demand." -- Burke when asked about DIRECTV's plans to offer 100 national HD channels by year's end.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Phillip Swann is
president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in
dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox
News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The
Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The
Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at
swann@tvpredictions.com
or at 703-505-3064.
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