Cablevision Systems Corporation CVC is slated to release third-quarter fiscal 2015 results on May 2, before the market opens.Last quarter, Cablevision Systems delivered a positive earnings surprise of 6.25%. Moreover, the company’s earnings have surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the four trailing quarters, with an average beat of 6.83%. Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Factors Affecting this QuarterOnline video streaming service providers such as Netflix Inc. NFLX, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, YouTube, etc. have become major threats for cable TV operators like Cablevision. Online videos provide an extremely cheap source of TV programming unless the customer is keen on viewing real-time programs like sporting events. This business model is gaining momentum, especially amid volatile economic conditions.Cablevision is consistently focusing on its WiFi network, referred to as the “Optimum WiFi Network”, for growth. The company has activated WiFi across its entire service area and has roughly 1.5 million WiFi hotspots active throughout its entire service area. Additionally, Cablevision expects ongoing investments in the Wi-Fi network to continue enhancing the value of its Freewheel service.Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Cablevision Systems is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here, as elaborated below.Zacks ESP: Cablevision Systems has Earnings ESP of -5.88%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 16 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged higher at 17 cents.Zacks Rank: Cablevision Systems has a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, we need to have a positive ESP to be confident of an earnings surprise.Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum. A Stock to ConsiderHere is a company you may want to consider, as our model shows it has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:Synopsys Inc. SNPS has an earnings ESP of +7.27% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report NETFLIX INC (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report CABLEVISION SYS (CVC): Free Stock Analysis Report SYNOPSYS INC (SNPS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research