pay TV

noun

ˈpā-ˈtē-ˈvē 

: a service providing noncommercial television programming (such as recent movies and entertainment specials) by means of a scrambled signal to subscribers who are provided with a decoder

—often hyphenated when used attributively

a pay-TV operator

called also pay television

compare pay cable, subscription tv

Examples of pay TV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Media companies' most recent earnings reports — including those from WBD and Paramount — once again put on display the ongoing losses for pay TV advertising and distribution revenue streams. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

In fact, subscribers across nearly every major pay TV provider — including recent additions Comcast Xfinity and YouTube TV — can unlock the full ESPN Unlimited tier experience on the ESPN App at no additional cost. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

It’s also included in pay TV bases, and streams with a subscription to Disney+ or ESPN Unlimited. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

But like all cable networks, MS NOW has to manage the loss of pay TV customers, which provide a major source of revenue. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pay TV

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he