Showtime says Subscriptions not shrinking

The other day we wrote about how Netflix and Hulu are starting to edge out Showtime and HBO in terms of popularity, however Showtime quickly sent a note to Deadline.com that the numbers posted from the NPD are inaccurate:

“Contrary to erroneous reports published this week, Showtime and every other premium network have increased both subscribers and penetrations over the last two years. A study released by the NPD Group claimed the opposite, comparing gains made by video services like Netflix to the performance of premium cable. The study does not accurately reflect actual subscriber counts. According to SNL Kagan, from March 2012 through September 2013 – the timeframe the NPD Group allegedly measured — Showtime penetration grew from 21.1 percent to 22.8 percent; HBO penetration rose from 28.2 percent to 29.2 percent; Cinemax penetration climbed from 11.2 percent to 13.6 percent and Starz penetration jumped from 19.9 percent to 22 percent. While it is true that video services like Netflix have gained, so too have premium cable channels.”

As I’m writing this I am actually watching Prometheus on Cinemax, but plan to watch Mother Up! later today on Hulu, so maybe people just have both nowadays? Your thoughts??