Pay TV Subscribers Globally Reached 1 Bil. in 2018

Middlesex, UK, September 2, 2019--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.

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 US$ 205 billion. Revenues fell to US$199 billion in 2018.