Amid possible new major cable TV network merger
deals and/or network group spinoffs, networks continue to decline in subscribers -- 7.1% in 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Among 190 cable TV networks analyzed, the
average cable TV network is now around 32 million subscribers -- including subscribers from traditional pay TV distributors and new virtual (internet) pay TV providers. In 2015, the average was 46
million.
The two most widely distributed cable TV networks are C-SPAN (69.6 million subscribers) and Food Network (68.4 million), according to S&P Global, which estimates both networks
will lose 15 million to 20 million by 2029.
Traditional pay TV penetration of U.S. homes is now at 34.4% of U.S. TV households, down from 80% in 2011.
S&P Global projects that
basic cable TV network declines will slow in the coming years -- down 5.4% over the next four years, to just under 24 million by 2029.
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Research shows that among 190 cable TV networks analyzed,
36 in 2025 had 60 million or more subscribers, while 49 had less than 10 million.
“This disparity highlights the uneven distribution of subscribers across networks, with some networks
maintaining a strong subscriber base despite industry challenges,” according to authors of the study.
Analysts speculate that possible merger deals -- for example, Paramount Skydance and
Warner Bros. Discovery -- would focus on combining ailing cable TV networks.