Internet Subs: Cable's Market Share Hits 64%

Aug. 18, 2017
Cable operators added more than 460,000 high-speed Internet subscribers in the second quarter of the year, taking cable's market share to ...

Cable operators added more than 460,000 high-speed Internet subscribers in the second quarter of the year, taking cable's market share to 64%, the highest level since 2004. Meanwhile, telcos lost across the board, shedding about 230,000 subs.

According to the Leichtman Research Group, the 14 largest cable and telephone providers in the United States - representing about 95% of the market - acquired about 230,000 net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in 2Q 2017.

The top broadband providers now account for more than 94.1 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 59.9 million broadband subscribers and top telephone companies having 34.2 million subscribers.

Findings for the quarter indicate:

  • Overall, broadband additions in 2Q 2017 were 107% of those in 2Q 2016.
  • The top cable companies added about 460,000 subscribers in 2Q 2017, 84% of the net additions for the top cable companies in 2Q 2016.
  • The top telephone companies lost about 230,000 subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 340,000 broadband subscribers in 2Q 2016. Each of the top telcos had net broadband losses in 2Q 2017.
  • Over the past year, there were about 2.55 million net broadband adds, compared to about 3 million over the prior year.

"Cable companies added about 3.1 million broadband subscribers over the past year, while telcos had net losses of about 550,000 broadband subscribers," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG. "At the end 2Q 2017, cable had a 64% market share vs. 36% for telcos. The broadband market share for cable is now at the highest level it has been since the first quarter of 2004."