While the second quarter of 2017 continued the years-long trend of subscriber losses for traditional pay TV providers, Internet-delivered video is softening the blow.

According to the Leichtman Research Group, the largest pay TV providers in the United States - representing about 95% of the market - lost about 665,000 net video subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 715,000 subscribers in the year-ago quarter. Excluding Internet-delivered services bumps the loss number up to about 895,000 subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 760,000 in 2Q 2016.

The top pay TV providers account for 92.6 million subscribers, with the top six cable companies having 48.4 million video subscribers, satellite TV services more than 32.7 million subscribers, the top telephone companies 9.5 million subscribers, and the top Internet-delivered pay TV services having about 1.9 million subscribers.

Other findings indicate:

• The top six cable companies lost about 190,000 video subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 225,000 subscribers in 2Q 2016. Top MSO net losses were the fewest in any second quarter since 2006.
• Satellite TV services lost about 435,000 subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a gain of about 15,000 subscribers in 2Q 2016. DBS net losses were more than in any previous quarter.
• The top telephone providers lost about 270,000 video subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 550,000 subscribers in 2Q 2016.
• Traditional pay TV services (not including Internet-delivered services) lost about 895,000 subscribers in 2Q 2017, compared to a loss of about 760,000 in 2Q 2016.

"The pay TV market lost about 655,000 subscribers in the traditionally weak second quarter, with overall net losses slightly lower than in last year's second quarter," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG. "While satellite TV services, DirecTV and DISH, had more combined net losses in 2Q 2017 than in any previous quarter, these losses were partially offset by gains from their Internet-delivered flanker brands, DirecTV NOW and Sling TV. These Internet-delivered services (along with the others that do not publicly report results) are now clearly part of providers' segmentation strategies and consumers' pay TV options."