• by Wayne Friedman , January 4, 2024

YouTube TV is not only the fastest-growing virtual pay TV provider with an estimated 6.9 million subscribers, but has surpassed Dish Network (6.7 million), and now has become the fourth-largest of any pay TV provider of any kind, says MoffettNathanson Research.

YouTube TV has grown 35% year-over-year (at just over 5.1 million subscribers in the third quarter of 2022). 

It is projected to surpass DirecTV’s satellite business (currently at 8.13 million) by early next year to become the third-biggest pay TV provider overall. The number one and two video distributors, as of the third quarter 2023, are Comcast Corp. (14.5 million) and Charter Communications (14.4 million).

YouTube TV dominates all virtual pay TV providers -- now accounting for 40% of the entire business 18 million subscribers. In the most recent third-quarter 2023 period, it added 350,000 subscribers.

Other virtual pay TV providers also made gains in the period -- Hulu+Live TV (300,000) and fuboTV (310,000) -- seeing growth driven by the usual high seasonal subscriber signups due to the start of the NFL and college football seasons.

While virtual pay TV business continues to grow up 10% overall to 18 million in the third quarter, it has not stopped the trend of overall negative growth for the entire pay TV system in the U.S. -- down 7% to 72.94 million.

Leaving out the virtual pay TV business, traditional pay TV subscribers are down 12% to 54.96 million.