Pay-TV Subscribers Drop Again to 36.15 Million... Cable TV Loses 150,000 Users
IPTV Sees Modest Growth to 21.53 Million Subscribers
OTT Expansion Drives Continued Decline in Cable and Satellite TV
As media consumption via online video service (OTT) platforms increases, the number of pay-TV subscribers in South Korea has declined for four consecutive half-year periods.
According to an announcement by the Broadcasting Media Communications Committee on May 29, the total number of pay-TV subscribers in the second half of last year stood at 36,150,070, a decrease of 76,030 compared to the first half. This downward trend has continued since the first half of 2024.
By pay-TV platform, only internet TV (IPTV) saw an increase in subscribers. The number of IPTV subscribers grew by approximately 120,000 from the previous half, reaching 21,535,256 and accounting for a market share of 59.57%. In contrast, general cable TV (SO) subscribers dropped by more than 150,000 over the same period, totaling 11,935,236 (33.01%). Satellite TV recorded 2,679,578 subscribers (7.41%).
The trends over the past three years reveal a clear gap between the platforms. While IPTV subscribers have increased steadily, SO and satellite TV have continued to decline. However, even for IPTV, the growth rate is now below 1%, which is insufficient to offset the decline in SO and satellite TV. As a result, the total number of pay-TV subscribers continues to decrease.
By service provider, KT maintained its lead with 9,123,463 subscribers (25.24%). This was followed by SK Broadband (IPTV) with 6,691,354 subscribers (18.51%), LG Uplus with 5,720,439 subscribers (15.82%), LG HelloVision with 3,391,130 subscribers (9.38%), and SK Broadband with 2,747,125 subscribers (7.60%).
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Meanwhile, this data is based on a practical survey conducted by the Korea Association for ICT Promotion (KAIT) from January to March of this year, targeting IPTV, SO, and satellite TV operators. A specialized review committee composed of private-sector members reviewed and approved the findings last month.
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