• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 8, 2020

Two-thirds of pay-TV operators around the world are expected to gain subscribers through 2025, more than offsetting losses among the top 10 operators, according to a Digital TV Research forecast report.

The firm surveyed 502 operators across 135 countries, with 732 platforms: 134 digital cable, 118 analog cable, 283 satellite, 140 IPTV and 57 DTT.

Total combined subscribers are projected to rise from 827 million to 908 million. The research also projects that 59% of the operators will realize revenue gains.

The top 50 operators accounted for 46% of the world’s pay-TV subscribers by year-end 2019, but are projected to see subscribers decline from 460 million to 449 million, or 2.4%, by 2025.

Eight operators will lose 1 million or more subscribers, led by China Radio and TV with a 37 million loss. The next five projected losers are all U.S. owned.

Furthermore, subscribers will remain flat for the next-largest 40 operators, at a combined 225 million.

However, operators beyond the top 50 will gain a combined 18 million subscribers to rise from 216 million to 234 million.

Eight operators will add more than 1 million subscribers between 2019 and 2025. China Unicom will gain the most subscribers, to hit 19.96 million total, followed by China Telecom, which will reach 18.52 million.

By the end of 2019, 13 operators had more than 10 million paying subscribers. By 2025, that will rise by one, to 14 operators, according to Simon Murray, principal analyst for the researcher.