Data revealed that the number of traditional pay TV households in the United States stood at around ** million in 2023. This figure will likely drop further over the next few years and amount to less than ** million by 2028. Meanwhile, digital pay TV is becoming increasingly popular. Pay TV is fighting an uphill battle The United States is one of the largest pay TV markets worldwide based on penetration. But even though millions of viewers frequently tune in to watch their favorite shows, news broadcasts, and sports events on the small screen, the U.S. pay TV industry is facing enormous challenges. More viewers are canceling their cable or satellite subscriptions than ever, be it because of mounting prices, limited content offerings, or the proliferation of over-the-top (OTT) video services and streaming platforms. Based on the latest data, over half of TV households in the country are currently without a telco, cable, or satellite TV provider. Can cable companies combat subscriber loss? The cord-cutting movement and other recent changes in consumer behavior have had a substantial impact on the pay TV landscape and its players. In 2023, U.S. pay TV providers suffered a combined net subscriber loss of around **** million viewers. This downward trend also extends to the largest pay TV providers in the U.S., such as Charter and Comcast. However, they have recently ventured into the world of streaming to offset subscriber losses, but whether this expansion will be enough to effectively combat churn remains to be seen.

During a survey held in January 2023, ** percent of respondents stated that their household was currently subscribing to a cable television service, compared to ** percent who said the same in a study conducted in January 2019. Cord-cutting is a major problem for TV providers as viewers turn to the internet to seek out and enjoy their favorite content on streaming services.

When it comes to share of people living in households that have a cable TV/satellite TV in the United States, ** percent of 18 - 29 year olds do so in the U.S. This is according to exclusive insights from the Consumer Insights Global survey which shows that ** percent of 30 - 49 year old consumers also fall into this category.Statista Consumer Insights offer you all results of our exclusive Statista surveys, based on more than ********* interviews.

The share of U.S. households without a telco, cable, or satellite TV provider is estimated to amount to 64 percent in 2024. The forecast suggests a continued increase in cord cutters by 2027.

Snapshot img

US Pay Tv Market Size 2025-2029

The US pay tv market size is forecast to increase by USD 6.45 billion at a CAGR of 1.7% between 2024 and 2029.

The Pay TV market in the US is driven by the high demand for live programming and sports content, which continues to be a significant draw for subscribers. The ease of use offered by cable TV providers, enabling seamless access to a wide range of channels, further bolsters the market's growth. However, the emergence of online streaming platforms poses a notable challenge. These home entertainment platforms, with their flexibility and affordability, are increasingly gaining traction among consumers. As a result, traditional Pay TV providers must adapt to remain competitive, focusing on enhancing their offerings and customer experience to retain subscribers and attract new ones.
Companies in the market can capitalize on this competitive landscape by investing in innovative technologies and strategies to differentiate themselves and cater to evolving consumer preferences.

What will be the size of the US Pay Tv Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
Request Free Sample

The Pay TV market in the US is characterized by continuous advancements in technology and consumer preferences. Content moderation and user interface design play crucial roles in ensuring user experience optimization and customer satisfaction. High-definition video quality and live streaming are now standard offerings, requiring substantial network bandwidth. Content partnerships and on-demand content are driving media distribution, with artificial intelligence and machine learning powering content strategy and personalization. Virtual and augmented reality technologies are emerging, enhancing user engagement metrics and media consumption patterns. Media consolidation and system integration are key trends, as companies seek to optimize subscription revenue and advertising revenue through innovative marketing strategies.
Digital marketing and social media marketing are essential components of these strategies, while digital watermarking and content licensing agreements safeguard content monetization and intellectual property. Customer data protection and program guide data are critical for maintaining trust and improving user experience. Emerging technologies, such as 5G networks and advanced audio quality, will further shape the Pay TV landscape.

How is this market segmented?

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Technology

  Satellite TV
  Cable TV
  IP TV


End-user

  Household
  Commercial


Type

  Postpaid
  Prepaid


Geography

  North America

    US

By Technology Insights

The satellite tv segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

In the dynamic pay TV market of the US, traditional cable TV and satellite providers face intense competition from over-the-top (OTT) platforms and mobile TV services. Content licensing and production costs are significant challenges for cable TV companies, which offer channel packages with hundreds of channels. In contrast, OTT platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video focus on personalized recommendations and data compression to deliver content efficiently over broadband internet. Cable TV companies have responded by offering internet bundles and unique features, as well as adopting business strategies to counteract subscriber churn. Broadcast networks and OTT platforms engage in content creation and distribution, with talent acquisition and customer relationship management playing crucial roles.

Technical support and data encryption are essential for ensuring user experience and protecting intellectual property. Industry regulations, such as antitrust laws and audience measurement, impact the market dynamics. Multi-screen viewing and targeted advertising are popular trends, with wireless networks and edge computing enabling multi-channel television and interactive television experiences. Content delivery networks and smart TVs facilitate content discovery and digital rights management. Content acquisition and aggregation are essential for both cable TV and OTT platforms, with program guides and user interfaces optimized for ease of use. Subscription models and billing systems are critical components of the pay TV ecosystem.

Network infrastructure, network capacity, and data analytics are vital for delivering high-quality content, including 4k resolution and viewership ratings. The convergence of media and technology continues to shape the pay TV market, with fiber optic and cloud computing playing increasingl

According to the most recent data, ** percent of adults in the United States had some sort of live pay TV service via a cable, DBS, telco, or internet-delivered vMVPD as of September 2023. The pay TV penetration rate fell by ** percentage points between 2014 and 2023, and will likely continue to drop as consumers increasingly opt for video streaming service subscriptions.

Among those who subscribed to a cable TV service in the United States as of January 2023, Black adults were the most likely ethnic group to currently subscribe, with 46 percent saying that they had an active subscription. Meanwhile, 39 perecnt of white respondents said the same.

Approximately ***** percent of U.S. adults with a household income of ******** watched cable television in the past week as of fall 2018, compared to just under **** percent of those earning less than ** thousand dollars per year. Radio consumption was also affected by income, with listenership increasing among higher earners.

Data on the global television market showed that there were an estimated **** billion TV households worldwide in 2021. According to the source, this figure will continue to grow and surpass *** billion by 2026. How are viewers receiving their television content? A more detailed look at television consumption by platform reveals that free-to-air digital terrestrial TV (FTA DTT) remains the most popular television distribution model worldwide. In addition to that, the latest reports also estimate that the number of IPTV households will exceed digital cable TV households for the first time in 2026. IPTV stands for internet protocol television and describes a new technology that delivers video content via the internet instead of traditional satellite or cable connections. Spotlight on the United States The number of TV households in the United States has been growing for decades. And yet, the U.S. pay TV penetration rate keeps dropping every year, mainly due to the ever-increasing accessibility and popularity of online video streaming options. Audiences no longer want to be tied to fixed broadcasting schedules, which is why many viewers are cutting the cord and canceling their pay TV bundles in favor of on-demand video content that can be watched whenever, wherever, and on whichever devices they want.

As of the third quarter of 2024, *** percent of U.S. households cut the cord. The number of pay TV subscriptions is likely to further drop in the near future as more and more people opt for streaming services.

As of June 2025, streaming was the favorite platform for television and video users in the United States, reaching a 46 percent share of the overall viewing time. This marks a growth compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, the market share of cable TV and broadcast further decreased.

The global pay TV market is experiencing a significant shift, with subscriber numbers dropping by nearly ** million between 2021 and 2023. This trend reflects changing viewer preferences and the increasing popularity of streaming services. Streaming services challenge pay TV dominance In the United States, a major pay TV market, over half of TV households are now without a traditional cable, satellite, or telco TV subscription. Moreover, the pay TV penetration rate fell by ** percentage points between 2014 and 2023, and only around *** in ***** adults subscribed to such services as of September 2023. This decline is largely attributed to the rise of over-the-top (OTT) video services and streaming platforms, which offer more flexible and often less expensive alternatives. Cost comparison favors streaming options However, while the subscription fee for VOD services was affordable to the majority of consumers at the beginning of the streaming era, the cost of subscribing to multiple ad-free streaming platforms is now nearly equivalent to traditional pay TV in the United States. As of early 2024, the combined cost of the top SVOD services Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Paramount+, and Peacock without ads totaled ***** U.S. dollars, compared to around *** dollars for a typical pay TV service. In contrast, for the ad-supported plans of the same platforms, the consumer pays half the amount of pay TV, further incentivizing cord-cutting. This flexible pricing structure, coupled with the convenience and content variety offered by streaming platforms, continues to challenge the pay TV industry's ability to retain subscribers.

In 2019, around **** percent of all households in Paraguay had access to cable TV, up from **** percent in 2014. This represents an increase of over ** percent in the penetration rate in five years.

The graph presents the percentage of households in the United States with no cable or satellite TV in 2010 and 2014, broken down by type of household. According to the source, the share of cord-cutting U.S. households grew from *** percent on 2010 to *** percent in 2014.

India’s TV industry earned about *** billion Indian rupees in 2024 with subscriptions and advertising revenues put together. A large share of this came from subscriptions that amounted to over *** billion Indian rupees during that year. Although the consumption of online content is on the rise in the country, television remains just as central in Indian households, with over 200 million TV households in the country in 2020. In fact, the rate of penetration of paid cable and satellite television was forecasted to amount to over ** percent of households from 2019 to 2023. The story behind the numbers The Indian television industry’s market size grew consistently in recent years. These are big numbers and can be attributed in part to the high number of paid TV subscribers in the country. The affordability of basic cable TV, which can be as low as * U.S. dollars per month for multiple regional, national and international channels, has made it possible for India to have the second highest number of pay TV subscribers in the world, second only to China. The impact of digitalization While the world has seen a steady decline in television viewership due to steep competition from the smartphone industry, as well as digital content platforms like Netflix, Indians seem to remain loyal to their television sets. On average, Indians spent about **** hours watching television in 2017 and television viewership in the country has increased by ** percent since 2016. Although these are surprising growth figures for an industry considered to be in slow decline globally, the numbers are a clear indication that Indians continue to be invested in their TV sets and that it is here to stay – at least for now.