"For the first time in eight years, pay TV is rising. According to the latest Cord-Cutting Monitor report from analyst firm MoffettNathanson, the number of subscriptions to linear video packages actually rose during the third quarter of 2025. The estimates, which include subscriptions to virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) like YouTube TV, show that the pay-TV industry had 303,000 subscriber additions in the third quarter, marking the first quarterly gain since 2017."
"According to the firm, the bigger takeaway is that Charter Communications has seen significant improvements in pay TV subscriptions, especially after it secured a partnership with the Walt Disney Company two years ago. The deal gave the House of Mouse streaming rights to Charter's video subscribers at no extra cost. It came after similar agreements with Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and NBCUniversal."
Pay-TV subscriptions increased by 303,000 in Q3 2025, the first quarterly gain since 2017. The gain was described as reasonably small and seasonal, coinciding with the start of the NFL season and risking a reversal in Q1. Most sequential growth came from vMVPDs while traditional cable subscriptions declined. YouTube TV added an estimated 750,000 subscribers in the quarter, a conservative MoffettNathanson estimate. Charter Communications improved pay-TV results after partnerships with Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and NBCUniversal, offering streaming rights and bundled discounts. Charter cut its quarterly subscriber losses by roughly two-thirds after renewing its video commitment.
Read at Fast Company
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