Western European pay-TV revenues are predicted to decline by almost $5bn by 2028 to $22bn, according to Digital TV Research.

 This would represent an 18% revenue drop, while the subscriber count is meanwhile expected to also decrease by 7%, causing revenues to fall faster.

This would result in “less emphasis on TV from the operators,” according to the research outfit.

Pay-TV revenues are predicted to fall in every country in the region except Malta between 2022 and 2028, with the UK and France to each decline by $1bn.

Satellite TV will meanwhile lose $3bn between 2022 and 2028, with satellite TV subscribers converting to platforms that offer broadband connections.

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “IPTV revenues overtook digital cable in 2022. IPTV will surpass satellite TV in 2025 to become the most lucrative platform.”