TiVo Q1: Loses Subs, Touts Broadband

During its first-quarter earnings call today, TiVo highlighted its recent broadband moves and positioned itself as a one-stop box for all your digital entertainment needs. Too bad potential subscribers aren’t clamoring to buy the box — the DVR company gained 48,000 TiVo-owned gross subscribers for the quarter, but lost 145,000 total net subscribers.

Our friends at TV by the Numbers have been keeping track with this handy chart:

The company ended the quarter with 1.7 million TiVo-owned subscriptions. Combined with its MSO/Broadcaster subscriptions, there are a total of 3.8 million TiVo subscribers.

Also during the call, TiVo talked up its recent announcement with Disney to provide movie rentals and its partnership with The Chicago Tribune to deliver TV critics’ picks. We got a few more details about the Disney deal: It’s only for Disney Studios movies — no ESPN, no TV shows. The combination of Unbox and Disney through CinemaNow will give TiVo subscribers access to movies from every major studio.

On the cable front, those of us outside of New England that are itching to get TiVo on our Comcast system are going to have to keep waiting. The rollout is going slooooow; TiVo said one lucky (unnamed) New England state outside of Massachusetts and New Hampshire will get the service next.

Shares of TiVo, which reported its latest quarterly results after the close of regular markets, ticked higher by 2 cents in after-hours trading, to $8.12.