Pay TV Universe Shrinks to 79% of U.S. Households
By Jeff Baumgartner published

Reflecting the subscriber erosion that’s affecting many TV service providers, about 79% of TV homes nationwide subscribe to some form of a pay TV service, down from 84% in 2014, 88% in 2010, and 81% in 2004, according to a new study from Leichtman Research Group.
“This is down from the peak in pay-TV penetration at the start of the decade, and represents the first time since the early 2000s that fewer than four-in-five TV households get a pay-TV service,” Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, said in a statement. He said the drop in pay TV penetration is not solely a function of recent disconnects, noting that among those without a pay TV service today, about one-third of that group subscribed to a pay TV service in the past three years, and one-third subscribed over three years ago.
LRG, in a survey of 1,201 U.S. homes for itsPay-TV in the U.S. 2017study, said that among TV households that do not currently take a pay-TV service, about two-thirds were former pay TV subscribers, while one-third never had pay TV.
For more, go to multichannel.com.
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below.
Thank you for signing up to Broadcasting & Cable. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.