Pay-TV Subscriberships Declining, Leicthman Says

The portion of U.S. households subscribing to some form of pay TV is sliding, Leichtman Research Group said Wednesday. Seventy-eight percent subscribe, down from 86 percent in 2013, 87 percent in 2008 and 81 percent in 2004. A big part of the decline is driven by younger people, with 70 percent of adults age 18-44 subscribing now, compared with 83 percent in 2013, LRG said. Among people ages 45 and up, 84 percent subscribe today vs. 88 percent in 2013. It said penetration of pay TV among renters, singles and movers has declined at a faster pace in recent years, expanding the demographic divides in the area. The mean reported monthly spending on subscription video among subscribers is about $107, up about 1 percent from a year ago. The data comes from a phone survey of 1,152 households.