Durham, NH — May 20, 2014 — Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the seventeen largest cable and telephone providers in the US — representing about 93% of the market — acquired nearly 1.2 million net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in the first quarter of 2014. These top broadband providers now account for over 85.5 million subscribers — with top cable companies having 50.3 million broadband subscribers, and top telephone companies having over 35.2 million subscribers.
Other broadband findings for the quarter include:
- Overall, broadband additions in 1Q 2014 amounted to 105% of those in 1Q 2013
- The top cable companies accounted for 83% of the net broadband additions for the quarter versus the top telephone companies
- The top cable companies added about 970,000 subscribers, representing 121% of the net additions for the top cable companies in 1Q 2013
- The top telephone companies added about 200,000 subscribers, 64% of the total net additions for the top telephone companies in 1Q 2013
- AT&T and Verizon added 732,000 subscribers via U-verse and FiOS in 1Q 2014, while having a net loss of 638,000 DSL subscribers. U-verse and FiOS broadband subscribers now account for 49% of Telco broadband subscribers — compared to 40% a year ago
- The top cable broadband providers have a 59% share of the market versus Telcos, with about 15.1 million more subscribers than the top telephone companies — compared to 13.1 million more a year ago
“With nearly 1.2 million net additions in the first quarter of 2014, broadband providers had their best quarter in two years,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “If recent history is an indicator, however, gains will be slower over the next couple of quarters. In each of the past four years, net adds in the first quarter were greater than in the second and third quarters combined.”
| Broadband Internet | Subscribers at End of 1Q 2014 |
Net Adds in 1Q 2014 |
| Cable Companies | ||
| Comcast* | 21,068,000 | 383,000 |
| Time Warner | 11,889,000 | 283,000 |
| Charter | 4,788,000 | 148,000 |
| Cablevision | 2,788,000 | 8,000 |
| Suddenlink* | 1,103,100 | 35,100 |
| Mediacom | 984,000 | 19,000 |
| WOW (WideOpenWest) | 756,700 | 16,700 |
| Cable ONE | 484,168 | 11,537 |
| Other Major Private Cable Companies** | 6,450,000 | 65,000 |
| Total Top Cable | 50,310,968 | 969,337 |
| Telephone Companies | ||
| AT&T | 16,503,000 | 78,000 |
| Verizon | 9,031,000 | 16,000 |
| CenturyLink | 6,057,000 | 66,000 |
| Frontier^ | 1,873,000 | 37,000 |
| Windstream | 1,170,400 | (500) |
| FairPoint | 331,538 | 1,772 |
| Cincinnati Bell | 270,000 | 1,600 |
| Total Top Telephone Companies | 35,235,938 | 199,872 |
| Total Broadband | 85,546,906 | 1,169,209 |
* Subscriber totals slightly adjusted from prior quarters
** Includes LRG estimates for Cox and Bright House Networks
^ LRG estimate, does not include wireless subscribers
Company subscriber counts may not represent solely residential households
Totals reflect pro forma results from system sales and acquisitions
Top cable and telephone companies represent approximately 93% of all subscribers
About Leichtman Research Group, Inc.
Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) specializes in research and analysis on broadband, media and entertainment industries. LRG combines on-going surveys and analysis with years of hands-on industry experience to provide companies with a richer understanding of the potential impact and adoption of new products and services. For more information about LRG, please call (603) 397-5400 or visit www.LeichtmanResearch.com.
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