Cord-cutting continued in 2019 as U.S. consumers dropped pricey cable TV bundles in favor of internet-based TV and movie options. As the cable/broadband industry consolidates, three major players — Comcast, Charter and AT&T — now control most of America’s digital pipelines.
Subscribers to U.S. video and internet services (Q4 2019 or as noted)
| Company | Consumer Digital TV | Consumer Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMCAST | 21,250,000 | 28,600,000 | Added 1.4 million internet customers in 2019; 9.9 million voice customers |
| CHARTER | 16,140,000 | 26,670,000 | 9.4 million telephone subs |
| ATT (includes DIRECTV) | 19,500,000 | 15,400,000 | 62.3 million consumer wireless devices; more than 4 million video subs lost from DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, and AT&T TV NOW in 2019 |
| VERIZON FIOS | 4,230,000 | 6,960,000 | 94.5 million wireless customers |
| COX | 3,865,000 | 5,170,000 | Q4-2019 estimates |
| ALTICE | 3,179,000 | 4,187,000 | Q4-2019 estimates: about 4.6 million voice customers |
| DISH | 9,394,000 | 595,000 | Includes Sling TV subscribers |
| CenturyLink | n.a. | 4,680,000 |
Sources: Company reports, Leichtman research