Pay TV subscriptions exceed 1 billion

Monday, September 23rd, 2019
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Digital TV Research estimates that pay TV subscribers increased by 26 million in 2018 across 138 countries. This took the number of pay TV subscribers beyond 1 billion.

Global TV Households by platform - Analog cable TV, Digital cable TV, Pay IPTV, Pay satellite, FTA satellite, FTA DTT, Pay DTT, Analog Terrestrial - Total Pay TV subscribers - 2010, 2017, 2018

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, commented: “IPTV added 42 million subscribers in 2018 alone to take its total to 257 million. IPTV overtook pay satellite TV in 2018.”

Satellite TV and pay DTT grew by 2 million and 1 million subscribers respectively in 2018. Digital cable TV added 7 million subs, but analog cable TV shed 16 million subs – meaning a net loss for cable.

Cable TV accounted for half of all pay TV subscribers in 2018; down from three-quarters in 2010. IPTV increased its share of pay TV subscribers to a quarter in 2018. Satellite TV generated 22% of pay TV subscribers in 2018.
Global pay TV revenues peaked in 2016 at $205 billion. Revenues fell to $199 billion in 2018.