Five of the largest U.S. pay-TV providers posted subscriber losses during the second quarter as younger viewers increasingly cut the cord and moved to “skinny bundles,” or cheaper packages with select channels, and Internet streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.
Comcast, the biggest cable company, shed 34,000 video subscribers during the quarter, compared with 4,000 customers lost in the prior-year quarter. AT&T lost 351,000 satellite and U-verse customers in the quarter, and though it added 152,000 subscribers to its DirecTV Now streaming service, it was not enough to offset total losses.
The following lists the cable companies and the number of pay-TV subscribers lost during the second quarter. The five pay-TV providers lost a total of 527,000 customers. Satellite television provider Dish Network is expected to report its numbers next Thursday.
| Companies | Change in Cable Subscribers |
| Altice USA | -37,000 |
| AT&T | -351,000* |
| Charter | -90,000 |
| Comcast | -34,000 |
| Verizon | -15,000 |
* Figure does not include DirecTV Now, AT&T Inc’s streaming service