• by Wayne Friedman , January 10, 2014

About 90% -- or some 103 million U.S. homes -- will be pay-TV subscribers by the end of this year. But two-thirds of those TV homes are not completely satisfied with features they are getting.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, research was released that shows about 66% of pay-TV subscribers “express interest in features they currently do not have,” per Park Associates.

“Our research shows 31% of pay-TV subscribers want remote DVR access, while 27% are interested in TV Everywhere and 26% in personalized recommendations,” said John Barrett, director, consumer analytics, Parks Associates, in a release.

Parks Associates notes that few providers beyond Dish Network provide remote access to DVR content, due to licensing restrictions. Parks also notes that 47% of video consumed on a TV set now comes from non-linear sources. "For these services to succeed, providers must increase awareness of their offerings while balancing cost concerns of their subscriber base,” says Barrett.

Nielsen said in May 2013 there were 102.3 million U.S pay TV homes -- down 1.1% from the year before. Total U.S. TV homes were at 115.6 million -- which would mean that 88% of U.S. TV homes are pay TV homes.

Nielsen says total TV homes were up 1.2% from the 2012-2013 estimate of 114.2 million. That means 294 million persons ages 2 and up who live in these TV homes -- 1.6% more than the year before.

"Watching TV" photo from Shutterstock.

advertisement

advertisement