Digital TV Research has estimated that there will be 254 million additional pay-TV subscribers between 2010 and 2016 to take the worldwide total to 969 million, representing an increase of 35%. The information was based on a survey of 138 countries.
Digital cable TV created the most additions by platform at 256 million between 2010 and 2016, but analogue cable TV lost 218 million subscribers which affected overall cable gains. There were 76 million extra subscribers for IPTV to nearly quintuple its total. Satellite TV added 77 million subscribers and pay-DTT 5 added million subscribers. Excluding the analogue cable TV losses, digital pay TV rocketed from 380 million subscribers in 2010 onto 852 million at the end of 2016.
Asia Pacific is the world’s largest pay-TV subscription region; contributing 60% to the worldwide total. China supplies about a third of the world’s pay-TV subscribers, with 313 million at the end of 2016.
The number of pay-TV subscribers doubled in 53 countries between 2010 and 2016, but pay-TV subscriber numbers fell in nine countries, with the US down by 4.4 million and Italy by 2.3 million.
Pay TV subscribers by platform
Figures by Digital TV Research
