AT&T Reports Mixed U-Verse Sub Momentum for Fourth Quarter

NEW YORK - Telecom giant AT&T on Thursday reported mixed subscriber momentum at its U-Verse video service in the fourth quarter as it added more users than in the previous period, but fewer than in the year-ago period.

The company added 208,000 net subscribers in the latest quarter to bring its total to 3.8 million, compared with 246,000 in the year-ago period and 176,000 in the third quarter, which tends to be seasonally weaker.

Verizon earlier this week also reported higher subscriber additions for its FiOS TV service, which just like U-Verse competes with cable and satellite TV operators.

AT&T's total video subscribers, which combine the company's U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 5.6 million at the end of the quarter, representing 23.9 percent of households served.

Following its failed bid for T-Mobile, AT&T on Thursday also reported a loss of $6.7 billion for the fourth quarter, following a year-ago profit, as its results fell below Wall Street estimates in part due to costs related to the failed merger.

But the company also boasted its best-ever quarter for Android and Apple smartphones, including 7.6 million iPhone activations.

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com

Twitter: @georgszalai