: 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

called also pay television

compare pay-cable, subscription tv

Examples of pay-TV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Like its traditional media peers, TelevisaUnivision has been putting increasing emphasis on streaming, via flagship Vix, while also looking to maintain declining but lucrative pay-TV subscriptions and advertising. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 July 2025 Under the extended deal, Starz receives exclusive first pay-TV and SVOD window rights to the studio’s films. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 In a major shakeup of the European television market, German broadcast giant RTL Group has signed a deal to acquire pay-TV group Sky Deutschland from Comcast. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025 Media companies are increasingly offering the same live sports featured on pay-TV networks on their counterpart streaming alternatives — most notably with the launch of Disney’s flagship ESPN app later this year. Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay-TV

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay-TV was in 1954

Cite this Entry

“Pay-TV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay-TV. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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