5:35 PM -- Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) would never reveal how many subscribers FLO TV had, citing gag orders from its carrier partners, but now that the service is defunct on the consumer side, CEO Paul Jacobs is willing to dish about the carrier side of the business. (See CTIA 2010: Mobile TV Vendors Learn From FLO TV and Rumor: Qualcomm to Shut FLO TV .)

Turns out the real reason he kept quiet on subscriber numbers was -- as expected -- they weren't worth talking about.

Speaking at a Churchill Club event yesterday, Jacobs estimated FLO TV had nearly 1 million subscribers, less than parent company Qualcomm had hoped for.

From the FLO TV flop, Jacobs said he learned that consumers want live events, especially sports, not programmed shows. He is still certain the technology will take off, just less certain on how. Right now, Qualcomm is still figuring out what to do with its service, and selling the service or just the spectrum are both on the table. (See What to Do About FLO TV? and Qualcomm Open to Selling FLO TV Unit.)

— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile