USA - Broadcasting - Satellite TV

Synopsis

Archive report: this report was archived in September 2005 and has not been updated. For current information on Satellite TV in USA, see reports USA - Convergence - Digital TV and Interactive TV and USA - Broadband Market - Wireless Broadband. The US satellite TV market has been expanding steadily since 1998, while cable TV growth has been stagnant. The two major providers – DirecTV and EchoStar’s Dish Network – have been steadfastly increasing their subscriber bases, although there are signs that the market may be approaching saturation point. Consumer focused satellite services continued to drive growth in 2003/4. The acquisition of DirecTV by News Corp in 2003 helped DirecTV’s business grow and its share of the satellite TV and the overall TV market. The big-dish C-Band continued to hold a core group of subscribers, albeit a declining one.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. US Satellite TV market
  • 2.1 Overview
  • 2.2 Market analysis and predictions
    • 2.2.1 Industry opportunities and threats
    • 2.2.2 Advantages of DBS versus analogue cable
  • 2.3 Regulatory issues
  • 2.4 Satellite TV statistics
• 3. Satellite services
  • 3.1 Direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV
  • 3.2 Broadband Internet via satellite
  • 3.3 Satellite radio
  • 3.4 Interactive services (iTV)
• 4. Major satellite TV providers
  • 4.1 DirecTV
    • 4.1.1 DirecTV US
  • 4.2 DISH Network (EchoStar)
    • 4.2.1 Failed merger with DirecTV
    • 4.2.2 Strategic alliances with SBC Communications
• 5. Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Systems (MMDS)
• 6. Related reports

• Table 1 – US satellite TV subscribers – 1998 - 2004
• Table 2 – DirecTV US subscribers (total platform) – 1999 - 2003
• Table 3 – DirecTV US ARPU and churn (owned and operated subs) – 1999 - 2003
• Table 4 – DISH Network subscribers – 1999 - 2003

• Exhibit 1 – DirecWay and StarBand service comparisons - 2003
• Exhibit 2 – EchoStar satellites
• Exhibit 3 - Sprint/MCI WorldCom MMDS purchases - 1999