Charter begins Spectrum rebrand in Lincoln, Nebraska

Charter Communications has commenced rebranding of acquired Time Warner Cable systems in Lincoln, Nebraska, as the MSO looks to put at least 50 percent of its TWC and Bright House Networks footprint under the Spectrum brand by the end of 2016.

Charter spokesman Wes Shirley told local paper the Lincoln Journal-Star that legacy TWC customers with broadband download speeds of less than 60 Mbps will get a speed increase, but that their phone and pay-TV services will not change unless they opt to take a new Spectrum package. 

RELATED: Charter loses 47K video subs in Q3 as TWC promo customers flee 

Charter began its rebrand campaign in Los Angeles and Dallas earlier this fall. It is being challenged to transition legacy TWC customers who are on expiring promotional pricing into less promotionally oriented Spectrum bundles. 

Charter reported 47,000 lost video subscribers in the third quarter, a metric it said is related to this transition. 

“Until our Spectrum pricing and packaging is launched across the newly acquired service areas, we continue to expect higher levels of churn and downgrades where Time Warner Cable was the operator,” Charter's Chairman and CEO Tom Rutledge told investors earlier this month during the MSO’s third quarter earnings call. 

The provider has plans to next deploy Spectrum across TWC’s New York City footprint and the Florida systems acquired during the Bright House Networks purchase. The Spectrum conversion will be 50 percent completed by the end of the year, the company said.

“We expect to be through all of Time Warner Cable and Bright House markets by the spring of next year, with customers and financial growth benefits following over time, like they have at pre-deal Charter,” Rutledge added.