Pay-TV Grows, but Cable Slows

According to ABI Research, worldwide pay-TV subscriptions continue to increase, and the total number of subscription is forecast to exceed 745 million in 2011. There were more than 704 million pay-TV subscribers globally at the end of 2010, an increase of more than 56 million subscribers from 2009."The growth rate is good in all pay-TV platforms except cable TV," noted ABI Practice Director Jason Blackwell in a statement. "High cable penetration in regions such as North America and Western Europe, and the increasing popularity of online video services, have resulted in slow growth in worldwide cable TV markets."ABI's findings indicate that the Asia-Pacific region remains the largest pay-TV market in the world, with 57% of global subscriptions. In 2010, more than half of all pay-TV subscribers were digital TV subscribers. In 2011, total HDTV subscriptions are expected to reach 225 million.