Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Pay TV in the United States - statistics & facts
For many decades, television has been the leading form of home entertainment in the country, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch their favorite shows, news broadcasts, and sports events from the comfort of their homes. But while the United States remains the country with the highest pay TV revenue worldwide, the ongoing proliferation of over-the-top (OTT) video services and streaming platforms has visibly affected (pay) TV viewing behavior and media consumption nationwide. Audiences increasingly cancel their pay TV subscriptions, and after almost a decade of gradual decline, the number of pay TV households in the U.S. dropped to 58 million in 2023. According to the latest data, more than half of U.S. households do not have a traditional TV subscription, a trend that is already transforming the pay TV landscape and its players.
