US pay TV households to pass 103 million this year

More than 103 million US households will subscribe to pay TV services by the end of 2014, according to research by Parks Associates. 

The new research, announced at CES in Las Vegas, claims that two-thirds of pay-TV subscribers expressed interest in features they currently do not have, with remote access to DVR content proving most popular among pay-TV households that can’t already access that service.

“Our research shows 31% of pay-TV subscribers want remote DVR access, while 27% are interested in TV Everywhere and 26% in personalised recommendations. For these services to succeed, providers must increase awareness of their offerings while balancing cost concerns of their subscriber base,” said John Barrett, director, consumer analytics, Parks Associates.

Parks claims that currently 47% of video consumed on TV sets comes from non-linear sources, but noted that few providers apart from Dish Network in the US provide remote access to DVR content due to licensing restrictions. This creates “tremendous opportunities for companies with the right market strategies,” according to the research firm.