It appears that the streaming services like DirecTV Now are beginning to catch on with consumers, so much so that their popularity has slowed the pace of pay TV subscriber losses in the second quarter of the current fiscal year. Now, analysts are saying that DirecTV Now’s pace of adding subscribers is growing to the point where it will pass rival Sling TV.
DirecTV Now added 342.000 subscribers for the quarter ending June 30. By comparison, Sling TV, which is owed by Dish Network, only added 41,000. AT&T has been aggressively marketing DirecTV Now thanks to a $10/month promotion for the first three months, available to new subscribers.
Research group MoffettNathanson said that should the two services maintain their current paces, DirecTV Now would pass Sling TV and become the industry leader before the end of this year.
One reason for Sling’s fall is the fact that Dish isn’t marketing it as aggressively as DirecTV. And while Sling was once considered an important part of Dish’s future, it has been replaced by the company’s focus on other areas, like wireless and 5G.
The increase of subscribers going to streaming services has helped ease the pain of pay TV providers, which have experienced heavy cord cutting over the last few years as prices have continued to rise.
DirecTV Now is seeing growth that will give it more subscribers than any of its rivals. And even though Sling TV had a 22-month headstart, it appears that DirecTV Now isn’t going to look back and is on the way to surpass all of the competition and leave them behind.
About Ken Fang
Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.