VMVPD Subs Likely the Buoy Lifting Pay-TV Results, Says nScreenMedia

While traditional pay-TV operators continue to lose subscribers, it's likely that if virtual MVPD subscriber numbers were available and counted, pay-TV subs increased in Q2, nScreenMedia analyst Colin Dixon blogged. Moderating pay-TV subscriber losses would be uplifting news for programmers, many of which are cheering the rise of vMVPDs, he said: Those same content companies undoubtedly "will show no restraint" when seeking price increases from vMVPDs and are all busy building direct-to-consumer offerings in anticipation of "the pay TV party ... com[ing] to an end." Another Tuesday report also said over-the-top viewers are watching more vMVPD content (see 1808140014 or 1808140011).