Dish, Sling TV Report Increased Sub Loses

By George Winslow
published

Total pay TV subs fell from 10.7 in Q4 2021 to 10.24 in Q1 2022

Dish
(Image credit: Dish Network)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Networks reported accelerated pay TV sub losses in Q1, 2022 as net pay TV subscribers decreased approximately 462,000 in the first quarter, double the sub declines of about 230,000 a year earlier in Q1 2021. 

Overall, the company closed the quarter with 10.24 million pay TV subscribers, including 7.99 million DISH TV satellite subscribers and 2.25 million SLING TV virtual MVPD subscribers.

For Sling TV, subs declined from 2.486 million in Q4 of 2021 and 2.374 million in Q1 of 2021 to 2.252 million in Q1 of 2022. The virtual MVPD had shown sub gains in Q2 2021 and Q3 2021 before losing subs in Q4 2021 and the first quarter of this year, when it lost about 234,000 subs. 

Overall the company has lost nearly 1.1 million pay TV subs since Q1, 2020 when it has 11.3 million subs. 

Meanwhile, retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 343,000 in the first quarter of 2022, compared to a net decrease of 161,000 in the year-ago quarter.

The company closed the quarter with 8.20 million retail wireless subscribers.

George Winslow
George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.