Research: US pay-TV sheds 1.2m subs in Q2
August 18, 2021
Findings from Leichtman Research Group indicate that the largest pay-TV providers in the US – representing about 95 per cent of the market – lost about 1,230,000 net video subscribers in Q2 2021, compared to a pro forma net loss of about 1,505,000 in Q2 2020.
The top pay-TV providers now account for about 77.6 million subscribers – with the top seven cable companies having 42.6 million video subscribers, other traditional pay-TV services having about 28.2 million subscribers, and the top publicly reporting Internet-delivered (vMVPD) pay-TV services having about 6.8 million subscribers.
Key findings for the quarter include:
- Top cable providers had a net loss of about 590,000 video subscribers in Q2 2021 – compared to a loss of about 505,000 subscribers in Q2 2020
- Other traditional pay-TV services had a net loss of about 700,000 subscribers in Q2 2021 – compared to a loss of about 1,045,000 subscribers in Q2 2020
- AT&T Premium TV had 473,000 net losses in Q2 2021 – compared to 887,000 net losses in Q2 2020
- Top publicly reporting vMVPDs added about 55,000 subscribers in Q2 2021 – compared to a gain of about 45,000 subscribers in Q2 2020
“Pay-TV net losses of 1,230,000 in Q2 2021 were about 275,000 fewer than in Q2 2020 on a pro forma basis,” advises Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “Over the past year, top pay-TV providers had a net loss of about 4,520,000 subscribers, compared to a loss of about 5,460,000 over the prior year.”