DISH Network loses subs as Sling TV fails to offset pay TV decline

US pay TV operator DISH Network lost 64,000 net pay TV customers in the second quarter, compared with the 30,000 gained in the same period the prior year.

The company closed the quarter with 8.84 million pay TV subscribers, including 6.72 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.12 million Sling TV streaming subs.

Pay TV losses failed to offset a streaming increase. Sling added 214,000 subscribers, a low number than for the prior year period, which the company attributed to strong competition in the pay video sector.

DISH TV’s rate of loss – 181,000 in the quarter – was actually lower than its prior year rate of loss.

Retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 225,000 in the third quarter, compared to a net increase of 1,000 in the year-ago quarter.

The company closed the quarter with 7.5 million retail wireless subscribers.

DISH posted revenues of US$3.7 billion for the quarter down from US$4.1 billion, and a loss of US$139 million compared with a profit of US$412 million.