DirecTV Japan Inc. declined comment Monday on how many subscribers it has obtained so far in Japan, in an apparent indication the carrier is struggling to compete.
Asked the number of subscribers in the country, Chairman Gareth Chang said only that the number is meaningless because the firm has been operating for only 84 days. "The number becomes more meaningful when the service is fully launched on April 1," he said.
DirecTV, which launched its digital satellite broadcasting service in December, announced it will add 25 new video channels to its service beginning April 1. According to the company, with the new programming, 57 of the 88 broadcasted channels can be received in Japan by DirecTV subscribers.
Earlier this month, rivals PerfecTV Corp. and Japan Sky Broadcasting Co. announced the start of talks for a merger as early as April, which is expected to intensify competition for DirecTV. PerfecTV, which started its service in 1996, had 565,000 subscribers as of Jan. 31.