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State of the Screens

Cord-Cutting Explodes in Q1 as Pay-TV Sector Delivers Worst-Ever Losses

By May 14, 2020No Comments

QoQ change in pay-TV subscribers according to MoffettNathanson:
1)
 Traditional pay-TV – ↓ 1.8M
2) 
Streaming pay-TV – ↓ 341K
3) Total pay-TV – ↓ 2.1M

YoY change in subscribers:
1) 
Traditional pay-TV – ↓ 8%
2) 
All pay-TV – ↓ 5%
3) 
Satellite pay-TV – ↓ 14%
4) 
Streaming pay-TV – ↓ 5%
5) 
Cable pay-TV – ↓ 4%

QoQ subscriber change for Comcast:
1) 
Traditional pay-TV – ↓ 409K
2) Broadband – ↑ 477K

Bottom line: Broadband subscribers are more profitable compared to traditional pay-TV subscribers.  The future for companies like Comcast is broadband, targeted advertising, and D2C video services (Peacock, etc.).

More #1: TV Cord-Cutting Hits Record as Coronavirus Shuts Businesses

More #2: Cord-cutting accelerates as empty restaurants, bars ditch cable

More #3: The Impact of COVID-19 on Pay-TV and OTT Video

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.