us on the call directv 110509
On the homepage
Vikings
Out There
Artcetera
Table Talk
On the Call-DirecTV CEO Larry Hunter says competition still intense, but sees fewer discounts
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on Digg
Minnesota business by the numbers
See Minnesota's top earning companies, CEOs and non-profits
More from Business
DirecTV Group Inc. is in an enviable position, as one of the few pay-TV operators seeing an increase in new subscribers in the third quarter.
A partnership with AT&T Inc. to cross-market their services helped attract new customers, while its NFL Sunday Ticket package of out-of-market football games is a perennial favorite. Earnings, however, were about flat as higher costs ate into the revenue gain.
But the company still faces tough competition, with rivals offering more aggressive discounts to entice cash-strapped consumers to switch providers.
QUESTION: What are you seeing so far in the fourth quarter regarding competitive behavior relative to what you saw in the third quarter?
ANSWER: Some of our competitors have backed off slightly in the fourth quarter, but there's still some very strong competition offered.
Dish network has a strong offer ... in the third quarter that they've continued into the fourth and we've seen some pretty strong video-only offers out there as well.
But if I were to gauge it between third and fourth, I would say slightly less on the kind of promotional offers in fourth quarter versus third.
Recent Business stories
Rigel Pharmaceuticals shares rise on RBC Capital Markets analyst upgrade - November 5, 2009
Rigel Pharmaceuticals shares rise on RBC Capital Markets analyst upgrade - Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. rose after an RBC Capital Markets analyst recommended buying shares of the drug developer based on his expectations the company will announce news of a partnership for a key drug candidate. More
Blog: Patent Pending
Lights out at U energy conference. Irony police notified.
Just as Lawrence Kazmerski, a top official at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was about to give the keynote address at the University of Minnesota's annual E3 conference at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, the lights went out, bathing the audience in darkness and a deep sense of irony.
Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments