Only two-thirds of US TV homes have live pay-TV
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 25 October 2022
A study from Leichtman Research Group has revealed the downward trajectory of pay-TV in the US finding that 66% of TV households nationwide have some form of live pay-TV service via cable, satellite, telco or Internet-delivered vMVPD, down from 79% in 2017, 88% in 2012 and 85% in 2007.
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The findings in the Pay-TV in the U.S. 2022 report are based on a survey of 1,850 households from throughout the US, and form LRG’s twentieth annual study on the topic.

Non-subscribers to pay-TV services were found to break into three similar-sized groups based on their prior pay-TV subscription. About 31% of non-subscribers last had a pay-TV service within the past three years, 35% last had a pay-TV service over three years ago, and 34% never had a pay-TV service. Among those that never had a pay-TV service, 52% are ages 18-34, compared to 27% of former pay-TV subscribers.

Almost three-quarters of adults aged 45+ have a pay-TV service compared with 57% of those aged 18-44. Almost half (46%0 of those that moved in the past year do not currently have a pay-TV service – a higher level than in previous years. 73% of households with three or more TVs have a pay-TV service – compared to 65% with two TVs, and 52% with one TV.

LRG also discovered that the mean annual household income of pay-TV subscribers was 11% higher than the mean income of non-subscribers and that 13% of pay-TV subscribers are likely to switch from their provider in the next six months – compared with 14% in 2020 and 13% in 2017.

“Two-thirds of US TV households now get a live pay-TV service, a significant decrease from 79% five years ago,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group commenting on the Pay-TV in the U.S. 2022 report. “The decline in pay-TV subscribers is not solely a function of those disconnecting services, but is also related to a slowdown in those entering or re-entering the category. Overall, about 10.5% of TV households last subscribed to a pay-TV service in the past three years, 12% last subscribed over three years ago, and 11.5% never subscribed.”