DirecTV Defections Will Slow, as Customer Satisfaction is Rising

Even if satellite linear video subscriptions are declining faster than fixed network services, overall, satisfaction with one of the services--AT&T’s DirecTV--had consumer satisfaction scores that rose more than linear video service provided by any other service providers in the U.S. market over the last year.

AT&T’s satellite TV service, DirecTV, gained three percentage points to an ACSI score of 66, compared to an industry score of 62 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. As likely has been the case for fixed network voice service customers, unhappy customers are deserting, but that also highlights that the remaining customers are more satisfied with their purchases than the departing customers.

source: ACSI

Over the past two years, 1.4 million DirecTV customers have defected and only the most loyal customers remain, ACSI says.

Among other linear video subscription TV providers, Verizon’s Fios takes second place, unchanged at 68, followed by Dish Network at 67. Altice’s Optimum service dropped two points to 61, falling behind both the industry average and the combined score of smaller providers (62).

Charter’s Spectrum is among the few gainers in the industry, up two points to 59. But Cox Communications dropped two percent.

Frontier Communications also improved its satisfaction scores two percent points,  to match Comcast’s Xfinity at 57. Altice’s Suddenlink fell five percent.

Customer satisfaction with subscription television service peaked in 2013 at a score of 68 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 100-point scale.

The industry is now stagnant at an ACSI score of 62, tied with internet service providers for last place among all industries tracked by the ACSI, the organization says.