Analyst: Pay-TV subs top 1bn
September 23, 2019
Pay-TV subscribers increased by 26 million in 2018 across 138 countries, according to the Pay-TV Databook from analyst firm Digital TV Research. This took the number of pay-TV subscribers beyond 1 billion.
“IPTV added 42 million subscribers in 2018 alone to take its total to 257 million,” noted Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research. “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 analogue 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 per cent of pay-TV subscribers in 2018.
Global pay-TV revenues peaked in 2016 at $205 billion (€186bn). Revenues fell to $199 billion in 2018.