‘Cord avoiding’ could hit US pay TV, says analyst

The US pay TV market could decline by 200,000 subscribers next year as a result of people deciding not to subscribe to services, according to Credit Suisse analyst Stefan Anninger.

Anninger, who has previously predicted that the US pay TV universe would expand by 250,000 next year, said that pay TV penetration fell from 84.1% to 83.2% by the end of the third quarter, with overall numbers remaining flat, largely as a result of an inability on the part of providers to attract new subscribers.

Anninger said that, as over-the-top services improved and the economy remained weak, the chances were that more people would become ‘cord avoiders’ rather than ‘cord cutters’.