DirecTV
The satellite TV service provider reported $0.40 of earnings per share on $4.81 billion in second-quarter revenue. That's an 8% year-over-year improvement in earnings, and a 16% jump in sales. I'd prefer profits that grew faster than sales; this report contrasts poorly to satellite rival Dish Network's
Meanwhile, cable giant Comcast
DirecTV credited its new on-demand service for some of its sales growth, along with attractive digital video recorder packages and a market-leading high-definition channel lineup.
I'll grant DirecTV the HD content lead for now, but staying ahead of the pack in that race is an expensive effort. There are satellite launches to pay for, and customer set-top boxes that need upgrades in order to read some of the new MPEG-4 content. As for the other two churn-busting advantages, well, everyone and his grandma can sell you a DVR these days, and the on-demand service actually only works if you're paying the cable guys or the phone company for a high-speed Internet connection. It seems to me that Comcast, Verizon
So bravo to DirecTV for signing up 129,000 new subscribers at churn rates that would make TiVo
Further Foolishness: