Forecast: 1bn pay-TV subs by 2027
September 26, 2022
The number of pay-TV subscribers across 138 countries will reach 1.03 billion by 2027; slightly up on 2021 as pay-TV continues to grow in developing countries, according to the Pay TV Forecasts Update report from analyst firm Digital TV Research. This total represents 57 per cent of TV households – down from the peak of 61 per cent in 2018.
“Given the increasing demand for fast broadband connections, IPTV will be the pay-TV winner,” advises Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research. “IPTV will add 79 million subscribers between 2021 and 2027 to take its total to 440 million. IPTV will become the pay-TV leader in 2022.”
Pay satellite TV will lose 12 million subscribers between 2021 and 2027 as homes convert to platforms that offer high-speed broadband.
There will be 367 million cable TV subs by 2027, 56 million lower than the 422 million recorded in 2021. The 2021 total includes 22 million analogue cable TV subscribers. This total will fall to zero by 2027.