In 2014, U.S. cable, satellite and telco TV are expected to end the year with 103.1 million subscribers, up just a smidge from 102.5 million last year, according to new study by Parks Associates. That’s just a half a percentage point of growth, which means pay-TV has effectively plateaued. But the industry’s fear that the Internet could cut away a sizable portion of its customer base has — so far — not been realized.
Pay-TV providers could keep their customers happy and prevent them from canceling service by introducing new features, Parks’ surveys indicate.
Remote access to DVR content was the most-cited feature among pay-TV households surveyed by Parks, with 31% of respondents expressing interest in it. Of the biggest operators, only Dish Network offers remote access to DVR content, through its Slingbox-enabled Hopper DVR.
By comparison, 27% said they want TV Everywhere — access to video content outside the home on mobile devices — and 26% said they were interested in personalized recommendations.
Parks timed the release of the report for the 2014 International CES, being held this week in Las Vegas.
From the article, "Cord-Cutting Fears Overblown? Pay-TV Industry May Actually Grow Slightly in 2014" by Todd Spangler.
