Sport key to pay TV subscriptions, says survey

Pay TV subscribers are highly likely to churn in the absence of premium sports rights being part of their service, according to a UK survey by Broadband Genie.

According to the survey, 57% of pay TV customers who expressed an opinion, said that sports channels were a strong influence on deciding on a pay TV package, and 78% said the would consider switching or cancelling their contract if their pay TV provider “lost the rights to broadcast certain sports”.

Some 61% of the 2,275 consumer surveyed said they currently had a pay TV package. Of those who expressed an opinion, 80% said their TV package provided quality content, but only 43% said it provided good value for money.

Among consumers without pay TV, of those who responded, 29% said they had a subscription service within the past five years. Some 52% said they didn’t currently have a pay TV service because it was too expensive, with 26% saying they were satisfied with Freeview and 12% saying they preferred to use streaming services.