pay-TV
noun
: 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 tvExamples of pay-TV in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the wake of the Venu battle, several players have come to market with more focused packages, offerings once thought impossible in the traditional economics of pay-TV.
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Traditional media companies are trying to balance a desire to grow their streaming businesses while retaining as much pay-TV revenue as possible, and YouTube’s dominance of the entire media ecosystem, including through YouTube TV, has become a point of frustration.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Like other traditional media companies, Paramount — parent of CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET — has seen longer-term downturns in traditional advertising and distribution revenue as pay-TV subscribers shift toward streaming.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
For the first time in over 30 years, pay-TV’s penetration has slipped below 50%, making a niche product of what was once a fixture in nearly 94% of American homes.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay-TV
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Traditional media companies are trying to balance a desire to grow their streaming businesses while retaining as much pay-TV revenue as possible, and YouTube’s dominance of the entire media ecosystem, including through YouTube TV, has become a point of frustration.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Like other traditional media companies, Paramount — parent of CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET — has seen longer-term downturns in traditional advertising and distribution revenue as pay-TV subscribers shift toward streaming.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
For the first time in over 30 years, pay-TV’s penetration has slipped below 50%, making a niche product of what was once a fixture in nearly 94% of American homes.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay-TV
Cite this Entry
“Pay-TV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay-TV. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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