(Reuters) - Dish Network Corp fell short of estimates for quarterly profit on Friday, as the U.S. satellite TV service provider lost more pay-TV subscribers than expected and posted anemic growth in its streaming service Sling TV.
The company's pay-TV business has been struggling as subscribers switch to online streaming services such as Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).com's Prime Video.
Dish has also tried to attract viewers with Sling TV, operating in an sector that is set to get more competitive with the entry of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Co's streaming service later this year.
But Sling subscriber additions of 7,000 for the first quarter was well below the 91,000 subscribers it added last year.
Overall, Dish's pay-TV business, which includes both satellite TV and Sling TV, lost 259,000 subscribers on a net basis during the first quarter, compared with the 94,000 it lost a year earlier.
Analysts on average had expected Dish to lose 242,000 subscribers, according to research firm FactSet.
Dish blamed blackouts of Spanish-language channel Univision and AT&T (NYSE:T) Inc-owned premium cable network HBO for the drop in the subscribers.
Dish and Univision reached a carriage agreement in March, but HBO is still not available for Dish subscribers after the company failed to reach a new deal with AT&T.
Net income attributable to the company fell to $340 million, or 65 cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $368 million, or 70 cents per share, a year earlier.
Analysts on average had expected the company to report a profit of 66 cents per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Revenue fell about 8 percent to $3.19 billion, in line with estimates.