The number of pay TV subscribers in Eastern Europe will decline by 8 million from 81 million in the peak year of 2018 to 73 million in 2028. However, 2018 included 17 million analog cable subscribers, which will drop to zero by 2027. So, the number of digital pay TV subscribers will climb by 8 million between 2018 and 2028.

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Even without the crisis in Ukraine, tough times continue in Eastern Europe, with poor job prospects forcing many to seek work abroad. This migration married with low birth rates mean that the number of pay TV subscribers will fall in 18 of the 22 countries covered between 2022 and 2028.”

Russia will lose 4 million pay TV subscribers between 2022 and 2028 partly as sanctions worsen the economic situation and also due to some analog cable homes converting to FTA DTT.