Leichtman Research Group

Leichtman Research Group
Name	Leichtman Research Group
Formation	1980s
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Fields	Market research, consumer behavior

Leichtman Research Group is a United States–based market research firm known for data on pay television, broadband, and consumer subscriptions. The organization produces reports cited by media outlets and used by industry participants including cable operators, satellite providers, streaming services, and regulators in matters involving antitrust, mergers, and consumer trends. Major corporations, trade associations, and legislative bodies have referenced its analyses during disputes involving Comcast Corporation, AT&T, Dish Network, Charter Communications, and Netflix, Inc..

History

Founded amid consolidation in the cable television industry during the 1980s and 1990s, the group emerged as an independent source tracking subscriber counts, churn rates, and household services across the United States, with periodic international comparisons involving Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Its timeline intersects with landmark industry events such as the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the rise of DISH Network, and the pivot toward over-the-top platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. The firm’s historical releases have been cited in disputes involving Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Verizon Communications, Comcast Corporation v. FCC-era proceedings, and merger reviews involving Charter Communications and T-Mobile US.

Research Focus and Projects

The group's primary focus includes tracking subscriptions for cable television, satellite television, multichannel video programming distributor, over-the-top streaming, and residential broadband Internet services. Projects regularly analyze metrics such as net adds, penetration, churn, and average revenue per user across providers including Xfinity, Spectrum, U-verse, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Peacock. The firm has produced special reports tied to events like the launch of Disney+, the expansion of Apple TV+, and competitive shifts due to Sprint Corporation–T-Mobile US merger discussions. Comparative projects have been used in regulatory filings before bodies such as the Federal Communications Commission and state public utility commissions including those in California, New York, and Texas.

Key Publications and Findings

The organization issues periodic reports and press releases presenting subscriber tallies, pay-TV cord-cutting estimates, and broadband adoption rates. Its findings have quantified trends also discussed by analysts at firms like Piper Sandler Companies, Morningstar, Inc., and Goldman Sachs. Notable releases have appeared alongside coverage in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg L.P., Reuters, and The Washington Post, and have influenced testimony before committees like the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reports often benchmark providers including Cox Communications, Altice USA, Frontier Communications, Altice, and streaming competitors such as HBO Max.

Leadership and Personnel

The group's leadership has included industry veterans with backgrounds in market analysis, telecommunications, and media research who have interacted with executives from Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, AT&T, Verizon Communications, and investment firms like BlackRock, Inc. and The Vanguard Group. Analysts and research directors have published findings referenced by scholars at institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania. Personnel profiles often reflect prior roles at market research companies and consulting firms that advise entities such as Accenture, McKinsey & Company, and Bain & Company.

Collaborations and Funding

The group’s work has been cited by trade associations including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and used by nonprofit policy centers such as the Bipartisan Policy Center and Brookings Institution in broader analyses. Funding for projects has come from a mixture of proprietary subscriptions, corporate clients in the telecommunications and media sectors, and commissioned studies for law firms engaged in merger review and litigation, including practices representing firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Latham & Watkins. Its reports have been submitted in regulatory dockets before the Federal Communications Commission and referenced in filings with the Federal Trade Commission.

Facilities and Methodologies

Operating from offices in the Chicago metropolitan area and remote research sites, the firm combines sample-based telephone and online surveys with secondary data aggregation from provider filings, public financial reports, and industry databases maintained by entities like S&P Global, Nielsen Holdings, and Comscore. Methodologies emphasize household-level sampling, weighting to U.S. Census Bureau demographics, and cross-referencing with carrier-reported subscriber counts from quarterly statements and Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Analytical tools used parallel those in market-research firms and consultancies such as Kantar Group and GfK.

Impact and Reception

The firm's data have played roles in public debate over cord-cutting, broadband competition, and merger approvals, influencing decisions involving Comcast–Sky proposals and other consolidation efforts. Academic researchers, regulatory staff, and journalists have used its figures alongside studies by Pew Research Center and Pew Internet & American Life Project to contextualize consumer behavior. Reception has ranged from reliance by industry stakeholders and policymakers to scrutiny by rival analysts and provider-sponsored research teams during contentious proceedings involving AT&T–Time Warner and similar disputes.

Category:Market research companies Category:Telecommunications research