Fragmentation predicted for pay TV market

The planet’s top 503 pay TV operators are set to shed subscribers over the coming years.

According to Digital TV Research, the operators will drop from 1.02 billion subscribers in 2020 to some 853 million in 2026. 

The top 50 operators, which currently account for 64% of pay TV subscribers, will see their proportion drop to 62% within five years. That top 50 is set to lose 20 million subscribers during the period, but there will be fragmentation as operators beyond the top 100 gain subscribers.

In total, 307 of the 503 operators charted are predicted to gain subscribers. Some 13 will show no change while 183 are set to lose subscribers. The number of operators generating more than US$1 billion in revenues will drop from 28 operators to 24 by 2026.

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Most industries consolidate as they mature. The pay TV sector is doing the opposite – fragmenting. Most of the subscriber growth will take place in developing countries where operators are not controlled by larger corporations.”