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DIRECTV's Slippery Subs & A Fight with HBO
Lots of news swirled around DIRECTV on Monday, first via a blog on the Sunday Ticket to Go and second via some lower HBO numbers.
On the first count, BTIG's Richard Greenfield has noted the ease with which would-be non-DIRECTV subscribers can get the Sunday Ticket to Go product from the DBS No. 1. Just lie about where you live, Greenfield says.
The mobile/broadband Sunday Ticket to Go is supposedly available only to those who cannot receive DIRECTV via satellite but a self-policing form allows for cheating
Says DIRECTV on the matter, "We are aware that some people might take this approach and have a plan and processes in place to mitigate risks to our overall Sunday Ticket product. However, we don't discuss specifics of our operational procedures."
As for that HBO battle: SNL Kagan reports a dip in HBO sub numbers (down to 28.6M, a four year low and second back-to-back quarterly decline) and The Hollywood Reporter suggests that some of the loss could be tied to some very tough negotiations with DIRECTV. The DBS No. 1 is shorting its promotional budget for the net, says THR. The folks at DIRECTV declined comment on this one.
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